Breaking Down Barriers
by JessicaRae95
Summary: Johnny, Roy and Captain Stanley are looking for a quiet ski trip with Captain Stanley's troubled sister Ash in the Rockies. A prison escapee and an avalanche are set to destroy everything they have planned. Please please review! AU/non-Canon
1. Chapter 1 - A Request to the Team

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"Gentlemen, I am about to upset our quiet little existence."

"Cap, you won't upset us." Chet Kelly looked so confused at the bizarre statement of his captain that Mike and Marco left the dinner preparations in the kitchen and sauntered over to the open door of the bay to hear their captain speak. "What could you do to possibly upset us? Usually we are driving you up a wall with our - yeah, usually we are upsetting _you_." Chet nodded thoughtfully.

"I know this sounds utterly ridiculous, but you guys are aware that this has always been a very -" the handsome Captain Henry "Hank" Stanley hesitated for a second, his face contorted into an expression that bode his next words were going to be very awkward. "This has always been a very - male - shift, and well, I am going to rock the boat for a few days."

He looked around at the blank faces of the men he considered his brothers (although sometimes he felt like they were his incorrigible sons) and sighed. They all looked confused.

The moment was interrupted by John Gage and Roy Desoto, the paramedics of the shift, returning with a few random groceries that Marco insisted needed to be included in the planning of lunch. The door of the bay closed, followed by the slamming of the squad doors.

"Here ya go, Marco!" John Gage, better known as Johnny, swept in, paper bag held aloft, followed by his older partner, Roy, who shook his head at his younger counterpart's never ending youthful energy.

Johnny froze at the sight of the little group that had gathered in the kitchen, obviously led by his Captain. "Anything wrong, Cap?" Johnny ran his fingers absentmindedly through his longish sable hair, concerned dark eyes focused on his captain. He glanced worriedly at his partner who had come up behind him, looking just as left out.

Cap sighed. He would have to start over again. But before he could speak, Chet took his moment to dig Gage. "Johnny, oh Johnny," He spoke in a tone that carried such intense respect and admiration that Johnny turned his head to look at him, looking bewildered. "Give me just a moment, Cap." He moved quickly to stand before John and saluted him like a soldier.

Johnny raised a questioning eyebrow and moved past Chet to set the grocery bag on the dining table. "Chet, what IS your problem?"

Chet raised his eyes to the ceiling as if in the presence of a deity. "You looked so much like the statue of liberty, standing there with that bag held so high, and tall and straight as an arrow that I just had to-"

Johnny waved a hand at him. "Oh, shut up, Chet. Save the patriotism for the holiday." He shook his head, dark eyes clearly showing how annoyed he was. Roy smiled. His partner and Chet Kelly would come to blows one day. He could just feel it in his bones. Marco and Mike pretended not to notice to spat, although Marco's mustache twitched dangerously. It would not do to laugh when Chet was ganging up on Johnny. But the other men knew retribution would haunt the rest of the day. Johnny would make Chet pay somehow.

"So, what's up, Cap?" Roy asked, sitting down at the dining table, having diverted the crew's attention back to his captain who was gazing at his men with a droll 'what have I gotten myself into' expression. If Marco started laughing, that would have sent Johnny off on a tirade and Cap's expression seemed to indicate that his patience was running a tiny bit thin.

Cap nodded quickly at Roy, a silent thank you, as his men returned their attentions to his earlier statement.

"As I was saying, men, this office has been a predominately male circle. However, I am inviting my youngest sister, Ashley, to stay with us for a few days until our ski trip. We call her Ash. She is nineteen. Quite capable, nice little girl, but very - different. I know Chet has quite all he can handle, putting up with Johnny and all," Here he cast a snide glance at Chet who squirmed and looked hurt.

"Awww, look Cap, I like Johnny as well as anybody else does. But he's just soooo easy to pick on." Chet drawled, turning to waggle his eyebrows at Johnny. Johnny growled at him, and huffed away to stand by Roy's chair.

Cap took a deep breath and blew it out carefully before he continued speaking. " _Anyway_ , I ask that all of you be gentlemanly, no pranks," a pointed look at Chet "and just make her feel welcome. She isn't the easiest person to get along with, but I am sure that you guys will all do your best. She comes from a - troubled home." Here the tall captain paused again and glanced at the floor.

Marco mumbled in Spanish, and Roy and Johnny cast quick glances at each other that said 'oh boy'. Their captain had an expression of pain on his face that no one had ever seen before. They all felt sorry for him. They had never seen him looking - so _human._ He glanced around at the table of men. "Do I have your complete confidence?" The solemn nods around the table calmed his tense features and he paced back and forth. "Ashley was an adopted child. We took her when she was 8 years old. She was abused by pretty much everyone in her life and by the time we got her, there wasn't much left to repair."

Roy and Johnny glanced cautiously at each other. Roy's face held gentle sympathy, and Johnny's was set in a stubborn Gage frown. Roy knew he was angry and yet sympathetic too.

"She has had a really rough road. For some reason, she is extremely attached to me. Maybe because it was my idea to adopt her. She was the daughter of one of my dad's coworkers, and we took her in when I was in firefighter school. Anyway, she was in such a hard shell that we had a terrible time with her. Eventually she started opening up more and it wasn't so bad. We got along really well. Then I took up a captain position here at 51, and she sort of retreated, because I didn't live close by anymore. She ended up in the hospital recently, after a bullying situation at work. We almost lost her and we didn't even realize it was happening. But it seems she has gotten through a lot of that. I just have to keep an eye on her for a few days and try to get her settled in at home, but my wife is at her mother's for the rest of the week and I can't go over until shift ends." Hank stopped pacing and leaned his forearms on the back of one of the chairs. "Confidentially, men, I either have to move her in with me or put her in an institution. And she's my little sister. I can't do that. I am hoping that some time away from memories will help her - adjust - to normal life. She's really not mean or anything like that. She has studied to be a nursing assistant. She's proven herself to be caring, and gentle. She is really sweet. Just - lonely and - sensitive, and insecure." The captain's voice was gruff with emotion, but a strange haunted look hovered in his eyes. Roy and Johnny shared another glance. This was tough on their captain. He looked exhausted.

Roy stood and stepped forward. "You don't have to feel like you owe us an explanation, Cap. After the many times you've had our backs, I am with you on this one."

Cap looked around at the little group, and all eyes held respect and concern for their captain, and affirmation was on each and every face. They all stood to their feet and nodded.

Exclamations of "Me too!" and "You bet!" rang through the room. Mike Stoker, the ever quiet fireman engineer stepped forward. "We will do everything we can, Cap." He smiled proudly at his comrades.

"Man, I've got such a great team." Hank said softly. He suddenly snapped back into his hard, stoic captain stance and looked toward the kitchen. "Hey there, Marco! What's burning on the stove?"

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The excitement of the next day rivaled that of Christmas. The team of Station 51 prepared for the arrival of the shy girl that Captain Stanley had spoken of. The bay was spotless, as always, and the rec room floor polished. The entire station was prepared as if for review by the battalion chief.

She was dropped off by Dr. Brackett, who stood talking to her and Hank for some time outside. Johnny kept trying to peek out the window, but Chet insisted on hauling him away. They might have come to blows but Roy intervened and separated them. The blonde senior paramedic rolled his eyes. His partner had a thing for women, but Roy had a feeling that Captain Stanley would not take kindly to any advances from his young paramedic upon his little sister. She walked into the bay quietly beside her brother, eyes drifting from a place either on the floor, or on her brother's face. She stood close to him as if his shadow would protect her. Long brown hair hung down her back. She was not too tall, but not really short either. Her head came to the top of Hank's shoulders. She wore a long sleeved jacket and denim skirt that reached below her knees. Not a very typical teen, but then Cap had hinted that she was different after all.

"Guys, I would like you to meet my sister, Ash. She is going to be staying with us for the rest of the shift, and then I am taking her with me when me and Johnny and Roy fly to Colorado this weekend. I would appreciate it if you would all make her feel welcome." Captain Hank introduced her as if no one had even heard about her before. Johnny gave her one of his lopsided Gage grins.

"Hey there, Ash. Welcome to the A shift crew. I sure hope you can cook because man, Marco is really getting to me."

He said this with a wink that the Mexican firefighter didn't see. "Hey, now there, senior! You just make your own chili and see how everyone else likes it. It is my Madre's chili and I do not take well to a - what do you call - criticism?!"

Johnny rolled his eyes and was rewarded for his facetiousness with a small smile from the silent girl. She studied him for a moment. "Thank you, Mr. Gage." She replied finally. "I have asked Hank if I can cook for you all while I stay here today, since I cannot go out on runs with you and I do wish to earn my keep. I know I am not supposed to be here but I do appreciate Chief McConnike letting me stay a little bit. I hope all shall be to your satisfaction, and if not I am always open to suggestions."

The station had grown quiet as she spoke. Hank put a lanky arm around her shoulders and playfully shook her. "Hey now, Ash. You aren't earning your keep. You have joined a military ranking of firemen, intent on aiding the public, rescuing lives, and hopefully keeping ourselves out of trouble." He cast a disparaging glance at Johnny and Marco. "You are not earning your keep. You have been given a task to complete and I am sure you will do well. You always were quite the gourmet chef." He said this last part while smiling down at her, and there was an audible sigh from Chet.

She blushed and quietly spoke again. "Why thank you, Hank. You always were quite the flatterer."

He laughed and hugged her again. "Well, welcome home, Peanut. See if you can get Chet to uproot himself from the floor and give you a tour of the kitchen. Marco, Mike. You guys are on yard duty. The new fencing is being delivered shortly. John, Gage, supply count."

Chet stammered, "Uh, Chief, can we just have Johnny make coffee first? You know he makes the best coffee…"

Ash spoke softly, waving him away. "Don't be afraid, sir. I know how to make coffee."

She opened the cabinet to look for the coffee, and a shower of water rained down upon her head, the plastic container bouncing off of her head and landing in the floor. All of the men froze. Then slowly, all eyes turned to Chet.

"That was for Johnny." Chet managed to squeak out, cowering under the sudden scrutiny. His captain looked as if he would like to kill him. There was going to be a lot of latrine duty in his future.

"Chet!" Johnny howled, relieved that he wasn't the one that got soaked and also taking his chance at playing the hero. "How dare you. You are always on my tail! Now you've gone and soaked Ash, and she hasn't even been here ten minutes!"

Amid the momentary chaos, a strange sound could be heard. Laughter. Still standing where she had been when the calamity happened, Ash was laughing. Her hair was plastered to her hair, and water dripped off of her angled chin. "Hank," She spoke in her gentle voice.

Captain Stanley broke his killer gaze from Chet's face. He grew concerned that his sister had not moved. "Ash, you okay?"  
He moved quickly to stand beside her, tilting her chin up to face him. Her eyes were sparkling and her face had lit up. To his relief, she laughed again. "Hank, I think I have just been initiated."

Captain Hank wiped the water off of her face with his big hand and chuckled. "I guess you have, Peanut. Now let's get you dried off. Chet - can make the coffee." He cast another pointed look at his mischievous coworker.

Chet stepped forward, swiping a towel off of the countertop. "A thousand apologies, Ash, I really intended that for Johnny."  
Ash accepted the towel he offered and smiled. "You pick on Johnny?"

Chet frowned and winked exaggeratedly. "I will discuss that some other time. There is a - uhm - phantom you need to know about that likes to tease Johnny."

Ash raised her eyebrows but nodded. "Okay, Chet. That sounds like something I should know about."

Johnny snorted. Ash noticed his frustration and laughed again. "Here, Johnny," she chuckled. "Have a cookie. It will go with the coffee Chet is about to make for us."

Johnny desperately began to shake his head. "Uh, no, no, Ash, don't!"

Ash reached into the bag and an audible snap coupled with her short scream, made Roy jump to her aid. Ash withdrew her hand and clamped firmly on it was a mousetrap.

Johnny shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, that was for Chet." He grimaced at the look in his captains eyes. Why did it have to be Ash again? He and Chet were batting 0 today.

Ash looked up at Johnny, definitely not laughing now. Hank reached for her hand, but she jerked it away. She held out her hand to Johnny. "Please take it off." Johnny at any other moment would have had a witty comeback or a smart comment, but he looked so contrite that his partner felt sorry for him.

He carefully removed the trap, and examined the slim fingers.  
"Can you bend them?" he asked softly, suddenly slipping into his paramedic mode. Gently, he felt each finger, and satisfied himself that they were not broken. He winced at the red marks the metal had made and the slight bruising and swelling already showing up. She demonstrated that her fingers still worked then smiled up at him. "Thank you, Johnny." He gave her another lopsided grin. She blushed and turned away, calling over her shoulder, "Chet, you owe me one. Hank?"

"Yes?" he asked, hands on his hips, clearly upset with his team.

"Don't be too hard on them, okay?"

He brushed back her soaking wet hair and sighed. "Okay, Peanut." He hugged her, and then motioned to Roy. The senior paramedic cocked his head in question, but followed his captain without a word. "Come along, sweetheart and let's get you settled in. Alright the rest of you, scatter. Chet, make coffee. Johnny. With Roy."


	2. Chapter 2 - Only a Day

_There are definite triggers in the rest of this story. Discussion of suicide, self-harm and depression are going to be in this story, also getting trapped in tight places, chased by a psycho baddie. If you cannot handle it, please,_ _ **please**_ _do not read. This story is dedicated to my best friend Cassie, who is very much like Ash. And yes, Ash is on her best behavior but she isn't a wild child. Just a hurting one. So don't expect crazy shenanigans and violent outbursts (although there will be a few). Most of her pain is inside. This story also shows how Captain Hank cares very much for her, but even he cannot see what is going on in her head. Also, Roy has a baby girl in the TV series, but she is never named. In this story, I have named her Olivia, also one of my besties._

 _This story is going to be a slow mover; I've got a lot of ground to cover. Also, forgive me for any noticeable lacking in medical/rescue scenes. I am not good at those, and this story is centering on our paramedics, Ash, and Captain Hank. Sorry!_

 _Please review you guys! This story got a lot of views before and I am so appreciative of that! But please let me know what you think!_

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Roy followed his captain out to the engine bay, Johnny close behind him. Captain Hank motioned for them all to sit down. Ash sat down on the tail of the squad, while Johnny and Roy propped against the wall. Cap sat down on the tool chest. "Okay, Ash, As you know, we are headed to Colorado on the weekend. During that time, these two men are going to be your doctor, your friends, your psychologists - from now on. If anything happens, _anything at all_ , you go to them. We are still running a firehouse here for the rest of our shift and they do have tasks to complete as will you. After the ski trip we will see how you feel. Might be able to get you a job at Rampart. I know that the last few months have been hard on you but this whole station is now family. We all care about you. The other guys are sort of big brothers. Johnny and Roy here," Hank hesitated. "Well, Johnny is the really annoying big brother and Roy is the surrogate dad. You can talk to them anytime. We are all gonna be one big happy family on this trip and I expect there won't be any problems."

Ash smiled at him, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes. "Thank you, Hank. And thank you Johnny, and Roy."

Johnny appeared slightly miffed at his Captain, but he remembered all the times that his hard headed thinking had gotten him in trouble and he said nothing to counter the older man's remarks. He nodded at Ash. "No worries, Ash. We want you to be happy while you are with us. Anything you need? Just let us know."

She nodded tensely. "Yes, sir." She cast a dark look at Hank. "Have you talked to them - "

Hank leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. "Not about what happened. They know yes, that you are - troubled."

An expression of annoyance crossed her face, and she stood to her feet. "You did what? So what is this? Am I staying here to go on a trip or am I just being babysat by a bunch of firemen?"

Cap gazed up at her with the stern look that Johnny knew all too well. It was the look he got thrown at him when Cap ordered him out of a situation and he didn't listen. Johnny cringed. This wasn't going to go well.

"Ash," Captain Hank began, his tone kind but his face aggravated. "You almost died. Your case worker wanted to put you in a special hospital for people that - struggle."  
She looked down at him, and her whole body stiffened. "They what?"

Cap sighed and held up a hand. "Here, sit down." He looked tired already.

She didn't take his hand, but she sat down. He let his hand drop. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that. But they were worried next time, you wouldn't be so lucky."

She frowned. "You mean unlucky."

He half turned to face her. "What?"

She shook her head fiercely. "Look, I didn't want to live okay?"

Cap crossed his arms. "Now since when was that your decision to make?"

Ash shrugged, but didn't say anything else, keeping her gaze on the concrete floor.

Cap rubbed his face with his hands. "Look, Ash, they are not here to correct you. They are not here to 'keep an eye' on you, although I have asked them too. I just didn't want the case worker to send you away, so I took complete responsibility of you. We were already scheduled to go on this trip, and Nancy is out of town, and I had nowhere to put you till I got back. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get permission from HQ for you to stay here until I got off work." _(I know this is not standard protocol, its fanfiction.)_

She kept her eyes on the floor, twisting her hands. In the silent moment that followed, Roy and Johnny and their captain held a very quick eye conversation. These men had worked together for so long that mere glances could speak volumes. Both paramedics could tell that their Captain did not know all of the details of what had led up to his sister's mental breakdown and desperately wanted to know. But she was still in too raw of a state to explain any of it. In the meantime, she was using anger to shield old wounds.

Johnny had experienced similar feelings before, having quite the past himself. _(His story is told elsewhere.)_ He nodded a bit, to himself, and then spoke. "Hey, Ash, now that it's one for one with me and Chet, do you want to help me make it two to one?"

Ash raised her head, and smiled stiffly at him. A glint of mischievousness shone in her eyes. "You really want my help?" she asked.

Johnny ignored the tears she quickly brushed away. "Yeah, I mean this guy just doesn't let up. He just keeps annoying the life-"

Captain Hank held up a hand. "Hold it there, Pal. Before you guys start any fights, let's get Ash some dry clothes and settled in. I have part of the rec room made into a place for her, and it's no guys allowed after 9 pm. I am sure you gentlemen wouldn't mind for tonight?"

Roy shook his head and finally spoke. "No, Cap not at all." His voice was quiet and very calm. Ash glanced at him, and was rewarded with a kind smile. "Hey, Ash, maybe before we fly out, would you like to visit my wife and kids? I have a son, Chris and a baby girl, Olivia. Joanne is driving us all to the airport anyway."

Ash nodded quickly. "I would like that, thank you." Her gaze returned to the floor. There was something about Roy. She could argue with Cap, sort of, and Johnny, but there was something about Roy that she couldn't argue with. She knew he would find out everything about her. Something about him reminded her of her dad. He could always tell when something wasn't right. She wasn't sure if that was comforting or not.

Hank nodded his thanks to both men for turning the situation around, and stood. "Come along, Ash. Let's get your suitcase. Johnny will show you where the Rec room is. Roy, can you check the tone box? We usually we get a call or two before now, but it seems to be very quiet today."

The little group scattered. Ash followed Johnny to the firehouse rec room. He motioned toward the comfy leather couch. "Here's your little den, princess. You actually might find a pea under those cushions, though because sometimes we eat in here and if Chet is cooking…"

She laughed shortly and took her suitcase from his hand. "Okay thanks, Johnny. It's okay. You don't have to be nice to me and all that."

Johnny cocked his head. "I'm not. This is just me. My and Roy, we just are - us. You can always count on a friend in the two of us."

She turned away. "You guys just want to know what happened." She threw her suitcase onto the couch and whirled to face him. "Well, I'm not gonna tell anyone. No matter what happens." Her voice took on an argumentative tone and her face indicated she was not going to be argued with.

Johnny sighed and held up his hands. "Look, kid. I really don't wanna know. I went through hell during my own childhood and I sure as shooting didn't want to talk about it to anyone either."

He set about moving the table over to the other side of the room, making more room for her, hanging up the guy's jackets that should have been on the coat rack, and rearranging the pictures on the shelves. "Man, I didn't think anyone could possibly understand what I was going through back then. It was like a dragon was shut up inside me. I wasn't myself, I became a survivor. I never understood how one can actually be a dead man walking until I got older and looked back at all that happened and then I finally understood. Didn't make me feel any better, but I understood."

He hoped his non-committal attitude would snap her out of her down demeanor. If she didn't think he wanted to know anything, maybe she would become desperate to tell him anyway. That was always how it worked.

He turned to look at Ash, who had been silent during his 'tirade.' She sat on the couch, open suitcase beside her. Her hands were twisting together again, a motion that seemed to be indicative of nervousness.

Johnny sighed and pulled a chair over to sit in front of her. "Hey." He reached out and tapped her knee. "Hey, I'm sorry."

Ash looked up at him, her eyes haunted and teary. "You do understand?" She asked quietly.

Johnny hesitated, and then nodded. "Well, yeah. I've had a lot of time to think about it."

"Johnny," she whispered. "Promise me you'll never tell. Not even Hank?"

Johnny squirmed uncomfortably, feeling like a kid again. "Ah, well, Ash, he's your brother, and -and my Captain. I can't-"

Ash grabbed his hand. "But don't you see, Johnny, that's just it."

At that moment, the tones began to sound throughout the quiet firehouse. Johnny looked torn for a moment. "Sorry, kiddo, got to run. We will pick this up when I get back." He patted her knee and bolted.

Ash nodded to herself as she watched him run from the room. "Yeah, sure Johnny, whatever."

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Roy and Hank watched Johnny walk away toward the rec room with Ash.

"Cap, I uhm, I hope that was okay-"Roy started to speak, concern furrowing his brow above worried blue eyes.

Hank clapped a hand on his shoulder. "No problem, Roy. I appreciate it. We weren't getting anywhere fast."

Roy put his hands on his hips and leaned against the doorframe. "Do you know what happened at all?"

Captain Stanley sighed and leaned against the other door frame. "No, Roy. I don't. I was on a run and when we got back to the firehouse, I got a message saying Ash was in the hospital and they were ruling it a suicide attempt. She was going very much downhill, and they wanted me to come as quick as I could. Near died of a heart attack myself. By the time I had gotten there, they had stabilized her. Overdose, I think they said. Anyway, she wouldn't talk about it, or why. We did some investigating and found out there may have been bullying going on at the place she worked at. She was working as a nursing assistant at the time. But nothing terrible happening to her was ever confirmed. She had a history of cutting, mostly before she came to us, but had been doing better with that after she went to school and became certified. Gave her a purpose, ya know. But something happened at that place that must have set her off again. And she won't talk about it at all. Clams up tighter than an oyster."

Roy sighed. "I guess we just got to be patient, Cap. I had to be with Johnny. Eventually, they come out of their shell. Just got to let them do it in their own time. Did she live alone when - this - happened?"

"Nah, she lived with my mom and dad. But they were out of town on vacation when it happened and the hospital wouldn't advise sending her home by herself."

Before Roy could answer, over their heads the tone box began to call them to duty. Roy nodded at his captain and they dispersed - Roy to the squad and Captain Hank to the radio.

""Station 51…Station 19…Truck 32…Battalion 4…structure fire…structure fully engulfed…36 Bolton Rd…3-6 Bolton Rd…cross Street Kernel Avenue… Time out 4:15"

"Station 51 - KMG 365."

The crew came running from every corner, throwing on gear, and jumping in vehicles. Johnny tumbled into the truck next to his partner. "Hey, Roy, are we leaving Ash here by herself?"

Roy watched his captain jump into the truck next to Mike and then wave them out. "I guess so, partner."

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"I am exhausted."

Johnny climbed stiffly into the squad and tossed his hat onto the dash, then rubbed the grime off of his face. His partner nodded wearily. They were just leaving Rampart General, where they had transported a couple who lived at the burning house. Thankfully, the couple had no serious injuries, just minor smoke inhalation. They were going to be fine. Their quick thinking got them out before the trucks arrived. Chet had pulled a muscle in his leg, but had been cleared for duty, as long as he took it easy. Johnny had suffered a burned hand, and Cap had tripped over a hose that Marco was moving and scraped his palms on the gravel. Overall, there was nothing serious. At least he wasn't leaving any men behind at Rampart on this shift.

"Me too." Roy picked up the radio. "Squad 52 - Available."

"Ya know, Roy," Johnny said quietly, leaning his head onto the window glass, and studying the bandage on the back of his hand. "I really do understand Ash, in a strange way."

Roy glanced kindly over at his partner. "Yeah, Pal. I know you do. Hey, how's the hand?"

Johnny chuckled shortly. "It's great. Dixie bandaged it up good. But about Ash. You know, Roy, she is hurting. Really deep, deep down, something is gnawing at her. It doesn't even have to be anything recent. But just a simple wound from years ago can fester and grow until before you know it the whole body is sick. And no one ever knows its building until you snap."

Roy nodded sagely. "I know it, partner. But how do we reach her? Cap is her brother and he isn't even close to figuring it out. This is gonna be one long ski trip if we can't get through to her."

"I know. But Roy, it's because he _is_ her brother. She doesn't want to disappoint him. She wants him to be happy with her. She's not going to tell him anything that would hurt their relationship." Johnny pointed out.

Roy sighed, and turned the squad toward home. This wasn't going to be an easy thing to fix. "I know, Johnny. I don't know what we can do about it but I am going to talk to Joanne."

Johnny smiled. "Good, maybe she will have some ideas."

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The squad backed into the bay, followed by the engine. Mike skillfully parked beside the squad. The men began organizing the hoses after the run. Once everything was spotless, Johnny and Roy followed the captain who went in search for his sister. The rec room was empty. For a split second, they nearly panicked. Then a happy realization dawned as a very good smell was discovered drifting from the kitchen. Johnny winked and motioned for them to follow his lead.

He walked into the kitchen, a bundle of energy. "Man alive! I am starving!"

The table was neatly set. Ash was pouring sauce into a bowl. "Hi guys," she said quietly, a proud smile on her face. "I made do with what you guys had already. I hope you like it."

Johnny rubbed his hands together. "Oh, boy, oh, boy, Marco, you are officially replaced." He winced at the pain in his hand.

"Are you hurt Johnny?" she asked quickly.

His response was delayed by the rest of the guys coming into the kitchen. Exclamations of "man that smells good!" and "Oh goody, dinner!" rang through the room.

Johnny smiled at her, as she left the sauce and came over to inspect the bandaging. "Nothing too serious, just a burn. How's your hand?"  
She blushed and backed away. "It's okay. Hey," she motioned for him to lean closer. "Don't open the cabinet over the sink." She winked and hurried away, to finish dishing out the food. Johnny cocked his head, confused, and shook his head. "Oh well." He thought to himself. "Wonder why?" Then his eyes fell on Chet and a question began to creep into his mind, as well as a smug smile on his face.

Cap went to help, a happy smile on his face. "Hey, there, Ash, you've done a great job. Be careful, my men may never want to eat Marco's food again."

Marco took a deep breath of Italian seasoning and chuckled. "Marco may not want Marco's cooking any more either!"

The entire crew burst out laughing, as they all settled around the table. "Hank, did you hurt your hands?" The look of concern on Ash's face for her brother was unmistakable. She took one of his big hands in hers and turned it palm up, examining the roughened skin.

"Nah, they're okay." He pulled his hand free and gently waved her away, bashfully, and put his hands in his lap.

She huffed and shook her head. "Got to always be the tough guy."

They smiled at each other and Cap spoke quietly. "Don't you do the same thing?"

She sighed and looked away. "Chet, sweetheart," Ash spoke sweetly, "Could you grab the salad forks out of the cabinet over the sink?"  
Chet's face lit up at the chance to help her, and the chance to ease the awkward moment.

"Sure thing, Ash!"

Chet yanked open the cabinet and immediately water showered down upon him. He turned to see his entire team laughing at him and Johnny and Ash high-five.

The score was 2 to 1. The phantom was not doing well.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Heart to Heart

_Please review! It means so much! Tell me what you think, good or bad!_

 _In this chapter, we are going to deal with some of Ash's emotions, and also a trip to the ER for our favorite paramedics. I promise, the jailbreak and avalanche are coming up in the next couple chapters!_

 _Last chapter of rewrite! Didn't really change anything on this one because I liked it how it was. Hope everyone is happy as a clam bake now! Let me know if y'all got any more tips_ _J_ _New chapter coming tomorrow as our crew sets off on their adventure!_

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The rest of the evening passed by in quiet fashion. Some of the crew watched television, some read magazines, and others played games. Ash and Chet were facing off in a chess game, overseen by Johnny and Mike.

Mike Stoker, the quiet engineer of the station, offered his advice to Chet.

"She's not paying too much attention to the side of the board closest to you, Chet. You need to close that gap."

Chet studied the board then half turned to face his coworker. "Stoker, I am trying to think here. She may be not paying attention, but she is not taking my knight!" He smugly moved his knight out of the way.

Ash smirked and placed her rook where his knight had stood. Johnny slapped his thigh.

"She's squashing your advances, Chet!"

Marco hollered from the living room, "Johnny, shut up! I can't hear the TV!"

Chet turned to Johnny, who was rolling his eyes at Marco. "What is this, Gage? You guys teaming up on me?" He looked so miffed that Mike patted his shoulder.

"Easy, Chet, it's not that bad."

Ash coughed, and he turned to her. "Now what, you too?"

She smiled shyly. "Checkmate."

Mike shrugged and sauntered away. "Never mind. Told you, Kelly."

Johnny whooped with excitement and gave Ash a high five. "Chet got beat by a girl! Hey Cap!"

"Cap," Chet whined, interrupting Johnny." Mike and Johnny distracted me!"

Cap laid down his magazine, untangled his lanky legs, and came over to join them at the table.

"What's the matter, Chet? Can't take it? Ash, it's been a long day. I think it's time we all turn in. We don't know when the next call will be, and we need to take advantage of the -"

"Shhh!" Ash interrupted him, playfully smacking his arm.

He frowned. "Huh?"

She chuckled. "Don't say it. Or it won't be quiet the rest of the night."

He laughed and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, smarty-pants. I get it. I'm turning in, guys."

The general chaos of organizing the room, turning off the TV, and saying goodnights swept around Ash but she felt awkward. "Hey, Hank."

"Yeah," he turned to look at her, as the guys headed for the bunks.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He smiled kindly. "Sure, Peanut."

"Hey, I am sorry about earlier today. I wasn't - respectful - and I shouldn't have -I mean I really appreciate-"

"Hey," Hank interrupted her and held out his arms to her, an invitation for a hug. She smiled sadly and let him wrap her up in strong arms. "You don't ever have to feel bad for expressing your feelings, Ash. Just do me a favor?"  
She looked up at him. "Yes?"

"Just don't hold them inside for so long that they eat you up."

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Johnny stumbled toward the restroom, tired and hoping he could go back to sleep. His illuminated wristwatch indicated it was 3 am. They had been on one quick run since bedtime, just he and Roy in the squad. Someone had fallen down stairs and suffered a concussion and a sprained ankle. Roy had fallen asleep immediately once they had returned home, but Johnny couldn't. He had tossed and turned before finally deciding to go splash warm water on his face and see if it helped.

He pushed open the restroom door, and was met by the sight of Ash sitting on the floor, back against the wall. Her arms were crossed across her knees, and her forehead rested on them. She lifted her head when he entered.

"Hey, there, I'm sorry - I will -just - leave - now - and" Johnny didn't know quite what to say to her. His face was beet red with embarrassment.

"No, it's okay - I will go. Just thinking." She started to stand, but Johnny held out a hand.

"Hey, don't go. Are you okay? Do you need help?"

She didn't move from her seat, but hesitatingly shook her head. "N-no."

He tilted his head to try to get a better look at her face. "You sure?"

"I have been clean for almost a year." She finally said almost wonderingly to herself.

Johnny felt his blood run cold for a second. "Yeah, Cap told me."

She jerked as if slapped, but said nothing else.

Johnny narrowed his eyes, and crept closer. Carefully, he leaned against the wall and slid down next to her. "That's quite an accomplishment, you know." He spoke carefully.

She nodded, still not looking at him. "Was I wrong? Was I crazy? Was I - sadistic?"

"No!" Johnny spoke quickly and winced at the loud exclamation echoing in the tile room. "No," he said again softly. "You were numb. You wanted to actually feel again. You needed some way to restore contact with the outside world. You needed to feel something other than the abyss you were falling into. And that seemed like a good idea at the time, am I right?"

Miserably, she nodded, turning teary eyes to him. "I'm a horrible person, Johnny. Hank would be so worried about me sometimes; I could see it in his eyes. But I was on a runaway train and I just couldn't stop it. Then I went into rehab, and when I got out of there, I started school to be a nursing assistant, and I found such peace in helping others. Easing their pain sort of, in a strange way, eased mine. Until -."

Johnny nodded, and chose to ignore the hesitation. "Yeah, I can understand that. My job kind of does the same thing. It drives you. You go into each rescue determined to beat pain and death. It's a war. And you are sure not gonna give in without a fight."

She mumbled, "Yeah," then put her head back down on her arms and sighed. "What do you do when you feel yourself losing that battle?"

Johnny felt that ice cold wave wash over him again, but he swallowed hard and kept it together. "Ah, well, you have to determine what made you fight in the first place."

She crumpled her face in thought. But instead of speaking, she held out a hand to him, closed into a fist. He reached for it, not sure what she was about to do. To his surprise, she laid a razor blade in his hand.

Johnny felt a weight lift off of his shoulder and he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His fingers closed over it as if afraid she might take it away again.

"I want to fight, Johnny." She said softly. "I can't stand that disappointment in Hank's eyes. He has fought so hard for me. Sometimes I forget - he isn't - like - _them_." Her eyes became serious and dark again. "There are just times I feel - "

"Trapped?" Johnny asked quietly. "Like nothing you ever say or do will change the rotten failure of a human being that you have been told you will always be by _them_?"

Ash gazed at him with wide eyes. "Hank never said that!"

Johnny shook his head and looked away, gazing up at the frosted lights in the suspended ceiling. "No, maybe Hank didn't. But someone did. And you _believed_ them."

Ash crossed her arms over her chest. "Another story for another time, fireman."

He looked down at her, slightly miffed. "Oh, no problem. I'm gonna see if I can get some more shut-eye before roll call." He stood. "Do you want me to keep this?" He asked, indicating the razor blade he carefully held between his finger and thumb.

A strange look crossed Ash's face, and she nodded once. "Maybe you better."

"Okay, then," Johnny backed toward the door. "Don't stay up too late."

"Johnny."

He hesitated. "Yes?"

"Don't tell Hank."

Johnny looked torn. "Ash, he's my captain. I have a duty to be loyal to him."

She bit her lower lip. "Please Johnny."

Johnny sighed and walked back over to where she sat. He knelt down in front of her, and tapped her knee. "Ash, look at me." He had felt every emotion that he saw in her eyes at one point in his own life. His partner had drawn him out of those old ways of thinking and in that moment, he realized how much Roy had helped him. "Ash, Your story is your own to tell. I'm not sure what feelings and terrible things are bottled up in that pretty head of yours. But remember, Hank is there for you too. He's a brother. He's a big brother to all of us here at the station. I know maybe he wasn't always there right at the moment you needed him, but he's here now. Don't forget that." At the uncertain glance she cast his way, Johnny took a deep breath. How could he make her understand?

"You need to get some sleep," Johnny stood again, offering her his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "Try not to worry about anything. And if you are ever ready to talk, anyone here will listen. My, Roy, the guys, especially Cap."

She was twisting her hands again, and he reached out and laid a hand on hers. "Don't."

Ash smiled up at him, a true smile. "Thanks, Johnny. Goodnight."

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""Station 51…Station 19…Truck 32…Battalion 4…structure fire …two trapped…197 Milton Rd…1-9-7 Milton Rd…cross Street Reynold Street… Time out 3:45"

Johnny had barely laid down when the tones sounded, bringing the firehouse to life. Johnny groaned and followed his partner out to the squad. Cap called back into the rec room, "Be back soon, Ash! Stay put, okay? Station 51 KMG-365." He tossed down the radio pic and jogged toward the engine, its rumbling sounding very loud in the enclosed bay.

She appeared in the doorway, and waved to him. "Okay!" At the last second, she ran forward and threw her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. Their eyes met for a moment, and then her gaze dropped to the floor. "Be safe, okay, Hank."

He nodded kindly. "We will, Peanut."

He jumped up to sit next to Mike, and the sirens wailed into the distance, leaving her standing by herself in the empty engine bay. Only those walls knew the tears that she finally let fall. And they couldn't tell anyone.

"Roy!" Captain Stanley was running back from the engine as the squad screeched to a halt behind Big Red. Mike was working on the pumps already and Marco and Chet were uncoiling hoses.

He reached the squad just as Roy and Johnny jumped from the seat. "What do we have, Cap?" Johnny asked as they ran after him back toward the flaming structure. It was a once beautiful single floor ranch, engulfed in flames in the garage and the roof was also burning.

"We've got one person, a female that has managed to get out. She says she is fine. But there's still a man in there somewhere. Wife says he was trying to find the source of the fire and she tried to get him out, but couldn't find him and barely made it out herself. If you guys are going, you better go now, because that roof is gonna be coming down pretty quick." Cap nodded toward the fire, the reflection of the flames bouncing grotesquely in the darkness of dawn.

"I got lead on this one, Roy," Johnny replied as he pulled on his helmet.

Roy nodded, dropping the drug boxes on the sidewalk. "I will follow with the hose, John."

The two paramedic firemen worked their way into the structure. It was dark, a combination of smoke and the darkness of the night. Johnny worked his way toward the side of the house where the fire burned the most. Johnny found a limp figure crumpled on the floor, right by the garage door.

"Roy!" He called, his mask muffling the sound. "Cover me with the hose, got to get him out."

What followed later seemed like a dream to Roy. One minute, he was carrying the victim to safety, and the next moment, the ceiling was coming down. Loud cracks of snapping two by fours and a deafening explosion from the garage rocked the floor beneath them and the sounds faded away as the world around them went dark and silent.

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"Roy?"

The world's lights and sounds came crashing back into Roy's consciousness as he tried to focus on the face in front of him. Dixie McCall, Rampart's favorite nurse, stood smiling kindly down at him. The lights shining on the ceiling behind her head made his eyes hurt and he quickly closed them again.

"Hey, sweetheart. Welcome back. You guys really worried us there for a bit." Dixie's smile did not erase the worry lines from around her eyes and forehead. Joe Early walked through the swinging door, clipboard in hand, running one hand through his white hair.

"How is he, Dix?" Roy heard him ask quietly from across the room.

Roy opened his eyes again, as Dixie read off the vitals that the machines were giving her. "He's awake. Maybe want to let Hank know."

Roy tried to raise a hand. "Wait, wait doc!" His hand fell back onto the bed. "Where - what - Johnny!"

Dixie rested a hand on Roy's shoulder, earning her a worried glance from the blue eyes paramedic. "Easy, Roy. Just stay still. Dr. Bracket is with him. We will know soon."

"Know?" Roy struggled to focus on her face again. The words she spoke seemed to be coming to his ears from a long distance away. "Know what? Where - Where is my - my partner?"

Dixie laid a gentle hand on his bruised forehead as if checking his temperature. "Easy, Roy. Don't you remember what happened, honey?"

Roy furrowed his brows, and closed his eyes, as nausea gripped him. "No, ah, no. Not all of it. We - we - w-were - on a call - man t-trapped - just found - him. Ceiling - roof caved in. Johnny!"

He tried to sit up again, but Dixie put both hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down onto the pillow, being careful of the IV attached to his arm and the nasal cannula on his face. Any other time, Roy would have been way stronger than her, but his brain felt addled and he could only comply with her silent request.

He took a deep breath as another wave of nausea and head pain washed over him. "C-concussion?" he mumbled, glancing blearily at Dr. Early. The elder gentleman nodded and spoke in his soft tone.

"Yes, Roy, you've got a concussion. You were out for a little bit there. Had to call in Squad 62 to help. Chet and Marco and your captain got you both out. Your gear protected you quite well."

A bad feeling kept niggling at his brain. Roy squinted through the fog and tried to focus on Dr. Early's face. "Both? N-not three? What - what- a-about the -v- victim?"

"Well, they got him out, but it was no good. He shouldn't have gone into the deepest part of the fire. They ruled his death due to smoke inhalation. He was dead before you guys ever reached him." Dr. Early said comfortingly, knowing his two best paramedics always took it hard when there were failed rescues.

Roy sighed and slammed his hand weakly onto the bed. He hated that part.

"Easy, Roy," Dixie spoke gently, patting his hand. "At least you and Johnny got out. Just hang in there a bit, sweetheart, and I will check on Johnny for you and get your wife."

Roy nodded his thanks, as Dixie left the room. As soon as the swinging doors closed, he turned his gaze to Dr. Early. "Doc, how long have I been out?"

"Well, a couple hours, Roy." Dr. Early admitted. "We were worried about you guys. Cap called you all in as unavailable for the rest of the shift. Shift B came in to cover for you and their Squad is bringing Ash here. Hank sent the engine home, but the boys are down in the lobby with Joanne."

Roy groaned in frustration and rubbed his face with his free hand.

At that moment, Hank Stanley walked through the door. "Hey, Pal. How's the head?"  
Roy shook his head. "I'll be fine, Cap, just a bit of a headache. Have you seen Johnny yet?"

Captain Stanley shook his head. "No, he's still in with Dr. Brackett."

"How was he?" Roy asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Cap scratched his head, suddenly looking forlorn in his unbuttoned turnout streaked with soot and grime. His shoulders were slumped. "Well, Roy," he drawled. "Well, he - um-"

"Aw, come on Cap!" Roy barked. "What is so wrong that no one can tell me if he's even alive or not?"

Cap looked quickly at Roy. "Oh, he's alive. He's alive, Roy."

Roy relaxed a little, then tensed again as the concerned look didn't leave his Captain's face. "What else, Captain?"

Captain Stanley sighed again. "He hadn't woke up yet."

Before Roy could look concerned, Dr. Brackett suddenly breezed through the treatment room door. "Hey, Roy, glad to see you're awake. Hi Joe. So, Johnny is going to be alright. Took a while to wake him up, but he will be fine. Got a few lacerations on his face and a contusion on the back of his head, but surprisingly better than we thought. He has some smoke inhalation too, quite worrisome at first, because he didn't have his mask on when 62 found him. But we have him on O2 so he should be right as rain in a few hours."

Hank sighed and suddenly felt very tired. He sank down onto the rolling chair that Dr. Early pushed under him. "Roy, I don't know how many times I have asked that fool kid not to do that."

"What?" Roy asked, feeling equally as tired.

"I have told him to not take that mask off. He must have taken it off to put on the victim, again."

Roy sighed and closed his eyes. There were days he was really, really proud of his young partner. But sometimes he just wanted to knock some sense into his hard head.


	4. Chapter 4 - Finally On The Way

_If you see where Hank calls his sister sweetheart, it's because I am a southern girl and my whole family calls everyone honey or sweetheart. So don't blame Hank…lol. And Joanne calls Johnny sweetheart because after all the things they have been through and his getting hurt so much, she considers him a child of her own._

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"You are both being released under the condition that if ANYTHING goes wrong, you high tail it to the nearest emergency room." Dr. Kelly Brackett sat down on his rolling stool, leaning forward, one hand on his hip and the other one propped on his knee, the hand cupping his chin. His tone clearly said that he was not joking. He glanced from one paramedic to the other, his dark eyes intent. "Do I have your word?" His eyes lingered on Johnny for a moment, as the young paramedic had a habit of not telling anyone when he was hurt. Johnny squirmed, his "Yeah, sure, Dr. Brackett" one second after his partner's much more convincing "Sure thing, Kel."

Ash and Captain Hank stepped forward. "We will keep an eye on them, Doctor." Cap said helpfully, nudging Ash forward.

Ash looked uncomfortable. "Doctor, um, Doctor Brackett, I will help them, if I can. I - um - I."

He smiled kindly at her, and held out a hand. "Hey, now. You are a very capable little lady, and I am sure Johnny at least will not protest at the idea of being looked after by such an awesome nursing assistant as pretty as you are."

Ash gazed strangely at him, and in his eyes, she saw the kindness that was reflecting in his voice. He alone knew what had driven her off of the deep end a few weeks ago, and as doctor-patient confidentiality goes, he couldn't tell anyone. What she didn't know was he had just chosen not to of his own accord. Dr. Brackett had been through some tough situations with Johnny and he understood how important it was to let each troubled person reveal their own stories on their own timetable. She gave him a grateful smile and he smiled back, then turned to Roy and Johnny, indicating that the matter between he and Ash was closed.

A few more moments passed as the paramedics discussed medications and trip details, and signed release paperwork.

Finally, all four walked out of Rampart General into the sunlight. It was time for vacation!

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"You'll like Joann," Roy smiled at the quiet girl seated next to him. Hank was driving them home in Johnny's white Land Rover. Johnny was carrying on a one sided conversation with Hank over the lodge where they were supposed to stay. Roy shook his head at Johnny and turned back to Ash. "Joann is real sweet."

"I am sure I will like her, Roy. Thank you for letting me come along with you guys. I have never been skiing before."  
Ash spoke with a practiced politeness that was not lost on the crew. She sat as far away from everyone as possible, stiffly, hands clasped in her lap. Hank looked back at Roy with a confused look on his face, but said nothing. Roy shrugged slightly in response. Sometimes she was more out of her shell than others.

"-and _you guys!_ The lodge has a _huge_ fireplace. Look!" Johnny turned sideways in the front seat and thrust the pamphlet toward the backseat, startling Roy and Ash. Roy shook his head in disapproval.

"Easy does it, Tiger." Roy accepted the pamphlet offered by Johnny and looked at it carefully.

He glanced over at Ash, who was cowering in the corner of the backseat. Roy held out the pamphlet. "Look at this thing. It's a totally massive fireplace." He smiled kindly, trying to distract her.

Johnny turned to look over his right shoulder at Ash. "Gee whiz, kid, I'm sorry. Man, you're gonna get so tired of being around me this week." He slumped miserably in his seat.

Ash seemed to snap out of her startled state at these words. A concern crossed her face and she sat up straight. "No, no Johnny, don't feel that way. I don't mind you being rambunctious. It - it's like having another brother." She glanced at Roy, and gently took the pamphlet he was still holding out to her. "Wow," her eyes lit up and she nodded appreciatively. "It's an amazing lodge."

Roy nodded. "Yeah."

She glanced at him again. He was still watching her with those piercing blue eyes. She wasn't going to be able to hide her feelings from this man. He was so much like her dad. She shook her head a little to erase the image and returned to studying the pamphlet. She read it over and over, trying not to notice that he was still watching her.

Johnny glanced sideways at Hank and their eyes met. The only thing that brought Ash out of her shell was thinking that Johnny felt bad. She was willing to hide her own emotions to keep everyone else happy. Johnny tapped the armrest of the seat with his fingertips. He was gonna figure out a way to get through those walls. He realized that she had not finished her statement last night. She was going to tell him the rest of the story, but now wasn't going to be the time.

Hank brought the car to a stop outside of Roy's small family house. A little boy was playing in the yard and a pretty woman was walking down the driveway, a toddler in her arms.

Roy greeted her with a hug and quick kiss. "Hi, Jo. Sorry it's kind of rushed. We just came by to pick up my suitcases."

Joann, slim and brunette, smiled kindly at him. "No problem, Roy. I have it all ready. How is your head?"

Roy smiled at Olivia who was reaching out to him with tiny arms. He chuckled and took her in his own arms. "Feeling better already, Jo. Sorry to have worried you like that when we are about to go away for a few days. Just got a minor headache, but it will get better in a day or two. I will sleep on the plane so shouldn't be too much of a hindrance. If I have to, I will sleep some of tomorrow."

Jo gave him another kiss and turned to the other men, just now climbing from the Land Rover. "Hi Hank! Hi Johnny, how's the head, sweetheart?"

Johnny blushed. He was the big kid that Jo didn't have, and she mothered him all the time.

"Aw, shucks, it's nothing, Jo. Feeling better already." He gave her an awkward hug, then he became momentarily distracted as Chris, Roy's son came running up to him and threw his small arms around Johnny's legs exclaiming "Uncle Johnny! Uncle Johnny!"

Jo gave him a motherly smile and nodded. "Alright then, Johnny. You rest if you feel dizzy at all, okay? Hank?" She turned to the taller man and gave him her most winsome smile.

"Yes, ma'am?" Hank asked politely, leaning on the hood of the Rover.

"Watch out for my boys, okay?" Jo gave him a sweet smile.

Hank nodded firmly. "Sure thing, ma'am."

She returned the nod, satisfied. Then she noticed Ash, who was making faces at the baby behind Roy's back and making Olivia laugh.

"Why who is the lady? Your new girlfriend, Johnny?" Jo asked, reaching to take Ash's hand.

Johnny turned beet red, and Captain Hank coughed. "Uhm, ma'am, meet my sister Ashley. She is going on the ski trip with us."

"Oh! That's sweet," Jo exclaimed. She frowned slightly when Ash didn't make a move to take her hand. She glanced at Roy. "Not Johnny's girlfriend for sure then. Okay, come along inside and grab some lunch before you go."

Once inside, Jo pulled Roy aside. "Roy?"  
Roy put an arm around her waist and hugged her. "Yeah, baby?"

"Is she okay?"  
Roy shook his head. "Let me tell you about Ash, Jo."

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The airport was a vibrant mass of sounds and motion. It appeared that almost everyone in Los Angeles was flying today. Security took so long that Hank was afraid the crew would miss their flight entirely. It was with immense relief that they finally boarded their jet and found their seats. Since she was a late comer, Ash had to sit near the very back of the plane. Hank was not happy but there was no other choice. He leaned into the aisle to see how far back she was. She responded with a wave.

Settling back into her seat, her thoughts began to drift. The engines roared to life and soon they were soaring out of LA into the eastern heading that would set them on their way to Colorado. She had an aisle seat, which to her was perfect. An elderly gentleman had the window seat and his granddaughter sat in the middle. She was dark haired, cute and engrossed in a cartoon movie and didn't pay much attention to anyone else around her. Ash smiled. It was probably better that way. She wasn't up to talking.

Her thoughts began to drift to the last few months. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Somewhere along the line, she had fallen back into old feelings. She sighed. Her life before Hank had been terrible. Abuse, both physical and verbal from her family had driven her into a hermit shell. She didn't feel anything. Love, happiness, sadness, anger - nothing. Hank used to tease her and call her 'poker face' when she first moved in. But he came to recognize that it was nothing more than a concrete wall she had built to hide her feelings. That was when the cutting had started. In her suffering mind, it did help. Only for a moment. She glanced down at the pale, scarred lines crisscrossing her wrists and yanked her sleeves down.

"So stupid." She mumbled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. She shuddered as she realized that thoughts of trying again were gradually invading her way of thinking. After her experience at her work, she really genuinely believed that she was a piece of trash that Hank's family just felt sorry for and just wanted to feel better about it so they adopted her. She sighed again. How could she have not seen the truth? She saw in her mind's eye how distraught Hank had been when he ran into the room where she was at the hospital. Even in the midst of the battle of the drugs in her system, she saw so many emotions in his eyes. He cared. He looked scared, relieved that she was alive and so heartbroken. She misinterpreted it as heartbroken that she could do such a thing. But something inside her kept asking, what if you're wrong? What if he is heartbroken that he didn't know you were sinking so far into the abyss?

"Ash? Peanut?" She jumped as she realized that someone was shaking her shoulder, gently but insistently.

"Y-yes?" She asked startled, sitting up straight.

Hank stood leaning on the back of her chair. "Hey there, just came to see if you wanted to move up next to me. The kind wife of this gentleman was assigned to the seat by me and she wanted to come sit back here with her granddaughter." Ash realized that a sweet faced elderly lady was standing there beside Hank, arm in arm, as he was keeping her steady because the plane was slightly swaying.

Still feeling a bit scrambled by the quick change of thoughts, Ash nodded. "Um, yeah. Yeah sure."

Hank smiled. "Well come on then. Roy is napping and Johnny found himself a stewardess to talk to. I'm getting bored up there by myself. I may need to find a stewardess to talk to if I don't find someone to keep me company."

Ash laughed and gathered her purse and jacket, allowing Hank to offer her a hand to stand. The seatbelt lights dinged back on and they quickly and carefully made their way back to Hank's seat amid the jerking and bouncing of the plane. Ash almost fell flat when the plane took a dip but Hank had instinctively grabbed the edge of the overhead bin and steadied them both. Finally, they sank down into their seats and snapped on the safety belts.

Ash and Hank looked at each other and chuckled.

"Hey, thanks, bro." She mumbled awkwardly. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, Sweetheart, any time." He pulled a book from his backpack. It was about touring Chicago. He held it out to her. "Hey, see if you can find the lodge where we will be staying."

"Maroon Bells." She said promptly, opening the book. "It was in the pamphlet Johnny showed us in the car."

Hank smiled. "Ah, you actually were listening."

Her face turned red as she remembered her startled moment. "Yeah, I was listening."

"Ash."

She glanced at him sideways. "Yes?"

"Hey, it's okay to get startled sometimes. I forget that you have a reason to be jumpy and-"

Ash frowned. "I'm normal, Hank. I'm not jumpy. Johnny dove back toward us so fast anyone would have been startled."

Hank crossed his arms. "Roy wasn't."

"I wasn't what?" A sleepy voice across the aisle interrupted their moment as Roy sat up, rubbing his face as if trying to figure out where he was.

"Hank says you weren't startled when Johnny nearly climbed into the back seat with his brochure this morning." Ash said, casting an accusing glance toward Johnny. He was sitting in first class chatting with a stewardess who didn't look exceptionally happy at his continued banter.

Roy glanced at Hank. "Uh, well I can definitely see how that would be startling, but gee, he's my partner and I'm kind of used to his crazy shenanigans so they just don't affect me that much. Now if I had not been used to him- maybe - no, yeah _definitely_ that would have gotten me right here." Roy tapped his chest for effect.

Ash rolled her eyes. This was going to be an interesting trip.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Bad Start

_Struggling with terrible writer's block and it's so pretty outside right now that it is making it hard to focus!_

 _To Nana, thank you for the review. And yes, Hank does call his sister Peanut. That's how my muse wrote the story. The idea is that Hank does not see her as grown up. That's why he is the way he is toward her. Johnny and Roy see her as an adult, hence their more grown up discussions. Also, he is her brother so he will not always see her as an adult, the same way some parents never see their children as grown up, and even the men call each other pal. So Hank and Ash's dynamic will evolve as their relationship evolves in the story. They haven't seen much of each other lately, since Hank became captain and they have a lot to work on. Hank still sees her as needing handled with kid gloves, and she is starting to try to figure out that she doesn't want to be that way anymore._ _Thanks for the reviews guys! I appreciate them! Also, there are over 600 views already but not near that many reviews. Would appreciate more you lovely people JJJJ_

 _Also, I don't know if there were rental cars in the 80s…..I wasn't around then. But in this story, they do exist. The model used was a four wheel drive introduced in the 80s._

The shadowy figure flattened itself against the wall as the clumping of boots marched down the dark hallway. The echoes bounced ominously off of the iron doors and down the corridor. The stealthy figure kept quiet until the coast was clear and slipped away. Using complete care, they continued flattening against the wall and darting down halls until they found their prize - an unsuspecting gatekeeper with keys. The guard never knew what hit him. It wasn't until two hours later that he was discovered and the prisoner was reported missing from Aspen County Jail.

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Hank gazed out of the small window of the plane, the beautiful Rocky Mountains rising up toward the sky above them. He was happy. It had been a long time since he had been on vacation. The demands of the firehouse often left no room for frivolous adventures. He sighed and closed his book. At least he finally had gotten the chance for one nice vacation away from the stresses of being a captain.

The pilot announced through the loudspeaker, ""Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you."

Captain Stanley put away his book and turned to Ash who appeared to have fallen asleep in the seat next to him. "Hey there, wake up. We have arrived, sleeping beauty." Ash rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around her in confusion, as the pilot made another announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been cleared to land at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Please make sure one last time your seat belt is securely fastened. The flight attendants are currently passing around the cabin to make a final compliance check and pick up any remaining cups and glasses. Thank you."

"We are there already?"

The No Smoking lights blinked, giving the crew members their cue to take their seats for landing. Hank chuckled.

"Yep, we are here. Two whole weeks of skiing, sledding -"

"Snowball fights," Ash added, tucking the guidebook Hank had given her into her purse.

Hank rolled his eyes. "That is so immature."

Ash shook her head. "Hey, Roy!"

Roy stirred and lifted his head. "Hum, yeah, Ash?"

Ash could feel the excitement of the trip starting to overcome her fear of this intense older man that she felt could see her heart's deepest secrets. Right now he was not threatening in any way. He looked like a sleepy puppy that has been woken from a puppy dream.

"We are landing. How's the head?"

Roy rubbed his face and took a deep breath. "Better actually. Wow, it's beautiful here."

Roy had turned to look out the window. Ash smiled and stretched her neck to see where Johnny was. He was still talking a mile a minute to a stewardess that was preparing the drink station for landing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Local time is 2:20pm and the temperature is 9 with 50% chance of snow later this evening.

For your safety and comfort, please remain seated, with your seat belt fastened, until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about. At this time, you may use your cellular phones if you wish.

Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.

If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you.

On behalf of American Airlines and the entire crew, I'd like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice evening!"

The plane was a flurry of chaos and retrieval of bags for a good two minutes. The LA crew stayed seated until everyone in the back had passed them. Then Ash climbed out of her seat, followed by Hank. He began pulling their carryon from its overhead bin. Roy stumbled to his feet and stretched his back. He nodded in Johnny's direction. "Guess I had better go fetch him."

Hank nodded, and pulled down the paramedic's carryon's as well. "Ash," he spoke quietly. She turned to look at him, slightly distracted by the disembarking of the rest of the passengers.

"Ash, please don't feel like you are on probation here, or anything like that. I- " He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I trust you. I want you to relax, and try not to think about everything that went on back home."

She nodded and picked up her suitcase, not quite meeting his gaze.

"Ash."

She brushed back her hair out of her face and finally locked eyes with her brother. "Yes, Hank."

"Hey, I'm sorry."

She swallowed and looked away. "Yeah, thanks."

He nodded, and they began to move down the aisle to disembark. Roy was coming toward them, a complaining Johnny in tow. Suddenly, Ash dropped her suitcase and threw her arms around her brother. "Thanks, Hank." There was such heartfelt sincerity that he didn't know what to say. Startled, he returned the hug.

"No problem, Peanut. I really do forget that you are a young lady now. You're still fifteen to me."

She rolled her eyes playfully and retrieved her suitcase. Without another word, she made her way down the aisle toward the exit. In her mind, she was torn. She had to get past this feeling worthless stuff. It just wasn't worth it.

Behind her, she could hear Roy and Johnny bickering.

"Now, Roy, I will rest tonight. Stacy was much better company than _you._ You _slept the entire trip._ What was I supposed to do?" He had his hands thrown into the air in defeat, and was walking backwards down the jet way. Roy held his own carryon suitcase in his left hand and Johnny's in his right. He did not look impressed with his rambunctious young partner. He shook his head tiredly. "Junior, you were supposed to be resting. That head isn't going to heal without rest. Doctor Brackett is going to tan your hide if you come back still sick. And he is going to tan mine because I didn't make you rest. And if you don't mind, I'd rather that didn't happen."

Johnny frowned at the idea of Dr. Brackett's wrath and shrugged, his hands falling to his sides. He sauntered after Roy. "Fine, I'll go to bed early tonight and sleep late tomorrow. How's that?"

Roy strode into the boarding area and paused. Glancing at his partner, he shook his head. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Junior." He dropped Johnny's suitcase on the ground. "Care to take that now?"

Johnny's eyes widened as he realized he had almost forgotten his suitcase. He glanced back at the closed jet way. "Oh gee, thanks Pally. I forgot all about that."

Roy sighed. His partner was more like his kid sometimes. Even Chris never forgot his carry on and he was eight years old.

"Hey, you stragglers, let's step on it." Hank was ahead of them, walking toward baggage claim, indicated by signs. "We still have to get a rental car and head to the lodge."

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Ash sat on her suitcase while Roy and Johnny haggled over the rental car. Hank was hauling over their luggage from Baggage Claim, located nearby. He set down a heavy one and shook his head. "That's all of it, Peanut. How are the boys doing?"

Ash smiled and looked over at the counter where Johnny was in animated conversation with a lady clerk and Roy was looking through paperwork. "I think you might want to help Roy. Johnny is over the moon again."

Hank snorted and walked over to where Roy was examining the contract. "AMC Eagle, Cap. That's the best and the cheapest. Station wagon too, so should hold all of our stuff."

Hank nodded approvingly. "Sounds good, well done Roy. Let's get the keys and pack up this junk and scram out of here. There are slopes calling our names."

Roy nodded, his tired face taking on a boyish excitement and turned back to the clerk. Hank reached over and grabbed Johnny's arm, effectively hauling him away and over to where Ash was guarding the luggage. "Make yourself useful, pal, and let's follow Roy to the car. Help me carry this stuff."

Johnny looked as if he would pout, but a stern glance from his captain reminded Johnny that after all, this still was his boss. "Aye, aye, sir." He grumbled, stacking his carryon on top of his suitcase.

Hank shouldered his backpack and turned as Roy hurried over, key swinging from his hands. "It's ours for the week, boys. Let's roll!"

They loaded up the cream and wood paneled Eagle and they were off. What they did not know is the snow on the Maroon Bells was packed and perfect for skiing, but also for avalanches. And Mother Nature wasn't going to stop the show for anyone.

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A lone hitchhiker stood on the side of the road, thumbing for a ride. Johnny, who was driving, looked back in the rearview mirror. "Should we pick him up?"

Hank shrugged. "If he is heading into Aspen, sure. We are going that way. There are four of us and one of him. Shouldn't be a problem."

Ash looked sideways at him. "I'm one of the four?"

Hank raised his eyebrow as Johnny pulled the car over to the side of the road and rolled down his window. "Of course, Ash."

"Hey, buddy!" Johnny leaned forward so he could see out the side of the car. "Where you headed?" "Into Aspen, if ya don't mind." The man spoke with a drawl that seemed southern.

Johnny nodded. "Us to. Hop in!"

The man returned the nod, and climbed into the back seat next to Ash, who moved to the middle next to Hank.

"Beautiful country." Hank tried to make conversation in the awkward silence that followed.

The stranger only grunted and nodded.

Ash scooted a little closer to Hank and she felt him lean toward her a little, indicating not to move and make the man suspicious.

Johnny took a deep breath and let it out in an unearthly whoop. "Man! I love vacations. Don't you, Roy?" He was bobbing up and down excitedly to a song on the radio.

Roy nodded, rubbing the ear that had been directed toward Johnny's high pitched outburst. "Yep I sure do, pal. Just love them. Next time remind me why I like fishing alone."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Awe, come on, Roy. Don't be such a stick in the mud. You know how lonesome vacations by yourself can be."

Roy was gritting his teeth while gazing out the window at the wilderness around them in an attempt not to reply when the news cast interrupted the jam that Johnny was bobbing to.

"The man that escaped from Aspen County Jail is believed to still be in the area. His description was provided to the Jews stations in the area immediately after the breakout in a desperate attempt to head him off before the trail became too cold for search dogs and investigators. The man was said to have longish black hair, green eyes, and a scar down his right cheek. The public is warned that this man is armed and dangerous and his escape has resulted in the fatality of the security guard from whom he stole ID, keys, and a handgun. In other news-"

Johnny turned off the radio and tapped the steering wheel. "Man, I ain't so sure about this, you guys. Maybe we had better-"

The stranger suddenly spoke.

"Don't stop driving until I say so."

Johnny looked into the rear view mirror again. "Huh?"

"I said, Don't Stop Driving Until I Say So." The stranger reached up and jerked off his slouch hat, revealing a long scar down his right cheek and fiery, angry green eyes.

Johnny swallowed hard. "Oh boy."

 _Please pretty please review! Sorry about the shorter chapter. Longer one coming up!_


	6. Chapter 6 - Hijacked!

_In this fanfic, Roy and Johnny do not move on to accept positions as firehouse captains. They remain as paramedics at Station 51. I do not like the way the story ended there in the series, and in my fanfic world, it just didn't happen. The cell phone part however, doesn't belong (thanks Nana for pointing that out.) They have become such a part of the now a day's world that I forgot they weren't around yet. Oops! Oh well, more fanfiction._

 _On to the next chapter! Thank you Madilayn for your kind and helpful encouragement! Your years of wisdom and experience are so appreciated to a beginner like me!_

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"You want me to do what exactly?" Johnny was gazing at the hitchhiker through the back mirror, a look of incredulous fear on his face. Roy suddenly grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it to the right.

"Just do what he says, pal. And stay on your side of the road. You almost ran ran right off."

Johnny glanced at Roy, then sighed, clenching the steering wheel tighter. "Yeah, whatever."

"Hang in there," Roy whispered, catching the helpless glance thrown his way. "We will get rid of him somehow."

The hitchhiker leaned forward. "Shut up, both of you. And you, kid, drive."

Johnny held up his right hand in an appeasing gesture. "I'm driving, okay? See, I'm driving. Don't fall all to pieces, dude, chill. Which direction do you want me to go?"

The man curled his upper lip in a sneer and thought for a moment. "Carbondale. Turn around."

Johnny rolled his eyes and executed a slippery three point turn that sent them away from their intended vacation destination. It was an uneasy and silent half hour drive up to Carbondale. Right outside of the mountain town, the strange man made another demanding request.

"Hey, you! Stop the car, dude."

Johnny rolled his eyes again and grudgingly complied, all four of the LA travelers feeling their blood running cold, unsure of the strange hitchhiker's intentions. The man pulled a semi-automatic Glock 17 out of his coat pocket and aimed it directly at Roy. "You, wise guy, in the front seat. Get out of the car. Slowly now, with your hands where I can see 'em. No sudden moves or I will blow you to kingdom come."

Roy turned to look back and try to argue with the man, but found the tip of the Glock at his nose. He grunted in repressed fury and swung his car door open. He stepped from the car, hands held up, to show he was complying.

"You are going to regret this." Roy attempted to throw back a threat to make the man change his mind, but he waved off Roy's words as if he didn't care in the least bit. The deranged escapee now pointed his gun at Hank. "Now you, out of the car."

Hank pulled Ash firmly against his side, his dark eyes steely and angry. "If I go, she goes with me."

The man smirked and eased the hammer back on the gun. "Out."

Hank glanced helplessly at Roy through the window and Roy shrugged. He didn't know how to fix the situation. His blue eyes were helpless. He felt like he was letting his captain down.

Johnny leaned around to look back at them, causing the gun to swing back toward himself. He jumped and held up his hands. "Hey, hey, easy. I just wanted to say, man, dude, all you need is me. Get rid of all of the other folks and let's just you and me take a joyride. Huh, how about it?"

The escapee smiled and turned his gun slowly back toward Hank. His smile disappeared and he snarled. "The girl stays. You. OUT."

Hank gritted his teeth. "Bastard," he mumbled under his breath. He cupped Ash's face in his left hand.

"Be brave, sister. Fight if you have to, kill even. Don't let him get to you. We will find you."

She nodded at him. "Thanks, Hank." Her voice came from a tight throat and sounded desperately pitiful. Hank's heart sank.

The man quickly eased the hammer into place and slammed his gun down onto Hank's hand, effectively scaring Ash, hitting her in the face and injuring Hank's knuckles. The escapee's face was darkening with suppressed rage . "I said out! Don't make me use this gun. You are seriously trying my patience." He threw an arm around the scared girl's neck and yanked her close to his chest, pressing the gun to her temple. "Last chance. Out."

Hank backed away from the door, nursing his injured hand. "Okay, okay. You win. I'm leaving."

Roy came over from his school de of the car and spoke tensely to the escapee. "We will find you, Mister. We will follow you to the ends of the earth, and if it takes a year or it takes fifty years, we WILL find you and you will be sorry."

He patted Ash's knee and the escapee kicked him away and reaching over Ash, slammed the door shut. The last thing Hank saw as - (apparently as instructed) Johnny turned the car yet again and drove back toward Aspen - was Ash's scared face, looking just like the lonely, frightened girl that his parents brought home so many years ago. He kicked the snowy car tracks angrily, and Roy let him vent. Finally Hank sat down in the snow, dejected.

Roy knelt in front of him. "Hey, Cap, let me see that hand now," he spoke quietly, using the voice he pulled out of his hat whenever a victim was in dire distress.

Captain Stanley listlessly held out his hand . Roy felt the bones of his lanky fingers, and examined the bruising joints carefully. "Can you make a fist, Cap?"

Hank carefully squeezed his fingers into a fist, wincing slightly. "Yeah, I guess so, pal."

Roy nodded. "Okay. Some minor contusions and scrapes. Your fingers may get a little stiff as the day goes on. But nothing permanent or serious. Right then. Let's get going. We've got to walk into town and get the cops." Roy stood and brushed the snow off of his pants.

Hank nodded. "Yeah. But Roy - Roy, what if he -"

Roy smiled and patted his distraught captain's shoulder. "Don't worry, Cap. We will find them."

He held out his hand. "Let me help you up."

Hank looked into the blue eyes of his senior paramedic and sighed. He had to believe. Somehow, he just had to believe. He reached up and grasped the offered hand. He needed all the support he could get.

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"So, now where are we going?" Johnny asked glumly, watching his friends recede into the distance through his rear view mirror.

The escapee snarled. "Just keep driving, wise guy."

Johnny tapped the steering wheel miserably. He glanced back at Ash. She held a hand to her jaw that had been hit by the Glock, eyes fearful and watching him through the mirror. He gritted his teeth angrily and grasped the steering wheel tighter. He had to protect her for his Captain's sake. If he wasn't successful, well Cap was going to kill him anyway. "Hey Ash? Sweetheart, now I meed you to listen to me okay?"

Ash met his gaze in the mirror and he nodded encouragingly. "Right. Now let me see that jaw okay? Can you move your jaw normally? That's right. Open and close. Minor contusion, might swell some. Just rest for now okay?"

He smiled encouragingly but was rewarded with only desperate wide eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

It had been about twenty minutes since anyone had spoken. The tension was so thick you could cut it with the proverbial knife. Johnny had long since given up listening to the radio as it was all about the escaped convict and how he had murdered a guard. It made Johnny want to throw up so he turned it off.

"Now it won'T do for us travelers to be bored now, would it? I am really cross when I get bored. You and me, missy, and gonna get introduced, right proper like," The escapee suddenly spoke, an evil tone smoothing his harsh voice. He reached across the car and ran a rough hand down the bruised side of Ash's face. She whimpered and jerked away, slamming herself into the left door of the car. Johnny reached down and locked the car doors.

"Ash, don't open that door," Johnny warned. The escapee snarled at him and yanked Ashley back across the seat toward him, then backhanding her face.

"You will NOT pull away from me, do you understand!" He growled down into her face.

She nodded quickly and whimpered.

He gave her a shake. "Answer me, woman!"

"Yes - yes, I understand." She stammered, eyes squeezed shut as if expecting another slap. He flung her back to the other side of the seat. Johnny had pretty much lost his patience, and he slammed on the brakes, nearly sending his passengers through the metal roof, and throwing a shower of snow from the screeching back tires.

"Alright wise guy!" Johnny bellowed, very uncharacteristic for him. "I am not driving ONE more inch if I don't get some cooperation. You guys are going to draw attention to the cops by wrangling around back there and we are about to drive through Aspen. Now I wouldn't mind that but I am sure you would. Now cut it out."

"You keep driving or I will blow your head off," the convict snarled at Johnny, ever present gun back in his hand.

"You," Johnny pointed to the convict. "Either sit there like a good escapee, or I swear if you touch her again, I will drive this car right off that dropoff side of the road and there won't be anything left for you to shoot me with. Capiche?"

The man snarled at him, but settled back into the seat in a huff. Johnny took a deep breath and stepped on the accelerator. He only hoped he could keep this bravado up until Roy could get help to him.

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Hank paced the police station floor as Roy spoke to the police captain. The fire captain's emotions were boiling out of control inside of him. How he wished he had never agreed for Johnny to pick up the hitchhiker. The guilt of the whole situation weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was facing the wall, leaning, hands raised to support his weight on the wall, gazing down at his feet. Roy walked over, placing a firm hand on his captain's shoulder. "Cap, they are putting out a bulletin for the car."

Hank turned his face to gaze bitterly at his senior paramedic. "Roy, I am so angry right now."

Roy dropped his hand. "Yeah, Cap, me too. We have to focus on finding them, though. There will be enough time to express our anger once we catch up to the man. I would like my partner back too. It's worrying me because he hasn't been resting. That head of his is going to give out eventually."

Cap gazed at Roy, concern stiffening his features. "What do you mean?"

Roy sighed and sank down to sit with his back against the wall. Hank squatted down in front of his paramedic, elbows on his knees. Roy glanced at the captain's concerned face then closed his eyes, and rubbed his face tiredly. "Johnny is still suffering from a concussion. Things could happen. Like headache, confusion, lack of coordination, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing in the ears, sleepiness, blackout - He could lose control of the car suddenly and- "

Hank held up a hand, noting the distress creeping over his paramedic and intensifying with each symptom he rattled off. "Easy, Roy. He's tough. Almost too tough. He will be okay. He- hang it all, Roy, he has to be okay."

Roy shook his head. "Cap, I am feeling really rattled myself and I _did_ have a good nap on the flight here. Johnny took the worst of that explosion and hasn't had any rest at all, the hardheaded kid. Do you really think he can just muscle through that?"

Captain Stanley sighed and looked down at the floor. "He has surprised us before, Roy."

Roy glanced at his captain, noting that there wasn't much confidence in his words. He realized that Hank was holding onto hope. Hope that somehow Johnny would be strong enough to protect his sister. It was all he had to cling to.

"You're worried about Ash."

Hank raised tormented eyes to Roy. "Yes. Roy, he - that man - hit her. You should have seen her face. She was looking to me to protect her and I failed. I failed Roy. Now he has her and who knows what will happen? And just when she was doing so much better, and hopefully opening up more. This will drive her back into her shell. Wasted." He threw his hands in the air helplessly. "All those years of work Mom and Dad put into her, wasted. All because I said 'let's pick up a hitchhiker.' How stupid could i be?"

Roy rested a comforting hand on his captains knee again. "It was not stupid. And you didn't fail, Cap. He had a gun, for Pete's sake!"

Hank shoved himself angrily to his feet. "I said to pick him up, Roy. It was _my idea._ I said it would be okay. Now I've lost one of my best paramedics and my kid sister and I am really, really struggling here."

Roy sighed and wearily stood to his feet. "I know, Cap. I feel the same way. I know how I would feel if they had Joanne or Chris, so trust me, I am very upset too. They've got Johnny and he - he's my kid brother and I am worried about him."

Both men gazed into the pained eyes of the other man, knowing that the tender feelings tgey had shared would go no further than each other. Hank clenched his fists and, turning away, paced nervously back and forth. "They headed back toward Aspen. Where are these cops at?"

Roy sighed. "Cap, they are working very hard. We have to be patient."

Cap stuffed his fists into his jeans pockets and hunched his shoulder. "By George, we don't, Roy. Come on. Let's find a car and head that direction. I can't sit here and just do nothing."

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Johnny shook his head a little. The road kept weaving before him and the sounds around him seemed to be so far away. He rubbed his eyes. Why did it seem so hard to concentrate? He just had to rest. His head was throbbing and the white road stretched before him endlessly. His eyes closed, and the car swerved. He jerked awake, slamming on the brakes. There was shouting, noise, chaos. Then they were falling.

Ash slowly opened her eyes. The car was smashed on its side in a snow drift. Immediately, she tried to sit up, but the prison escapee was unconscious and heavy on top of her. Blood streaked his face and dripped down his nose. His eyes were closed.

With a shriek of fear, she scrambled out from under him and toward the front seat, ignoring the pain now radiating from her left arm. Bruises were already starting to form. She gazed around, trying to remember what happened.

Johnny was slumped against the side of the car. She tried to climb over to him, but shooting pain pierced through her right leg. She gasped and froze for a moment, letting waves of nausea flow over her. Her head ached and something wet trickled down the right side of her face, and she reached up to find a gash and her fingers came away covered in blood. Not good. Shoving down the intense nausea again, she tried to concentrate. She had to find Johnny.

Carefully, she reached over the front seat and found Johnny's still form. His head lay against the door, scrapes on his face. His left arm was pinned between himself and the steering wheel. His dark eyes were closed. Fear gripped her. Was he dead? Gritting her teeth, she carefully felt for a pulse and held her breath. There it was. Weak, but it was there.

She then reached for the convict. Pulse was there, a bleeding nose, but otherwise alive. In relief, she slumped back down into the back of the car, and huddled, feeling chilled all over, and rested her head on the back of the chair. "Please come, Hank. Please come. I'm so sorry I ever disappointed you. Please save us." She brushed away a few tears angrily. "Please. Please."

What was it Johnny had said? "When you feel like quitting, remember why you fought in the first place."

With new determination, she lifted her throbbing head to study their situation. The car was on its right side, and there was only white to be seen through the windows. She reached up and undid the latch on the side door that was now their ceiling, and tried to raise it (now more like a trapdoor than a door). She shoved it with all of her strength, but couldnt get it to budge.

Ash felt the desperation building inside, and some of her old panic began to creep in. She had to get them out. She crawled right below the door, feeling the crack of glass as the right passenger's window shattered beneath her. It was already cracked from the impact and her weight crushed it into the snow. The edges bit into her knee, causing her to freeze again as sharp pain sparked from new injuries. But she paused only for a moment.

In a desperate move, she shoved the door upwards and she found herself standing, looking around them, shoulders and head above the side of the car. All around the car, the world was white. Above them rose the hill that the highway ran along. If it hadn't been for the snow, they would have all been killed. The car had only slid down the embankment in the soft snow instead of tumbling all the way down to the valley below. No one would be able to see them from the road. Ash shuddered and looked back down into the car.

At her feet lay the Glock 17. And the escaped convict was beginning to stir.


	7. Chapter 7 - Over the Edge

_Thank you all so much for the continued activity on this story. You are all gems! Please review, though! They are the lifeblood of the writer! Thank you to all the guests who read and those who review! You are amazing! Please please please review._

 _Ok, in this chapter, like I said, still struggling with writer's block. Took me four days to write this. Sorry for the shorter chapter! I will do better next chapter. Promise!_

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"Roy!" Hank waved urgently to the paramedic and jogged over to where Roy was standing in the lobby of the police station. "Come on, Roy, I borrowed a Bronco from a guy at the car shop down the street. Let's get out of here!"

Roy hunched his shoulders and gazed calmly at his Captain. "Cap?"

Hank zipped his ski jacket up to his chin. "Yeah, what's up, Roy?"

Roy, standing with his hands resting lightly on the white top of the lobby front desk, motioned to the lieutenant behind the desk. "He's got news."

Hank hurried to the desk, and leaned next to Roy. "What's new? Did you find them?"

The lieutenant shook his head, much to Hank's dismay. "No, sir, I am sorry. But we have been able to determine that they have gone straight through Aspen and headed south toward Highway 24 and Granite City. We have sent a squad to set up roadblocks at highway 24, but they are having trouble with the snowfall. Our concern is Independence Pass. Usually the road is closed because it is terrible to travel in the winter. A lot of snow falls up there. The problem is there was vandalism up there a couple nights ago and the road is not blocked off. If they made it that far, it as not likely that they will make it to 24 in one piece." The lieutenant's face held such concern that Roy shifted uncomfortably to gaze at his hands. This wasn't good news at all.

Hank slammed his fists on the table. "Then we go up there. Come on, Roy."

Roy hurried quickly after his captain. "Cap, Johnny's head. He's going to pass out. They are going to go over a cliff."

Hank turned abruptly to glare at his friend. "Roy, what are you saying?"

Roy gazed helplessly back at him. "Cap, they've got to make it."

Hank stopped walking for a moment, and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. Then he walked on, not looking back once to the lieutenant that kept calling for them to wait. He wasn't waiting for backup. It was now or never.

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The escaped convict stirred, grimacing as pain flooded into his consciousness. He opened his eyes to see Ash standing over him. "Hey, hey - you - idiot." He tried to sit up, but his head would not allow it. Dizziness kept him in his position on the bottom of the wrecked car. He reached up and wiped the blood from his nose and winced.

"Did you break it?"

He looked up at the concerned girl, confusion on his face. "What?"

"Your nose, dummy." She shook her head. He really rubbed her the wrong way.

The man snarled, then gingerly touched his nose. "No. No I think not."

"Okay." She kicked the gun toward him. "Here's your stupid gun. If you hadn't been such a jerk, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Ash tried to climb from the car but her right leg would no longer support her weight. She sank down to a sitting position again and studied their situation. In the silence, she realized that the convict was gazing calmly at her. "You happy?" she shouted at him, angry tears threatening to fall. "Are you really happy now? I hope they do find us. I hope they find you and lock you up for good. And throw away the key."

The convict snarled, and reached for the gun. "Well, they won't." He sneered at her and then climbed, staggering, from the car and began scaling up the snowy incline.

"You're just going to leave us down here?!" Ash gazed up the embankment at him in angry surprise.

He smiled smugly back down at her. "Yes. And if I meet anyone on the road, I will send them the other way."

Ash frowned down at her injured leg and then at Johnny, who was still unconscious in the front seat. There was no way either one could climb out of here. She leaned her head back on the roof of the car and let the tears come. No one could see them from the road. There was no way Hank was going to find them. And a light snow was beginning to fall. It would hide them to all rescuers, if they even made it this far south. She gritted her teeth and shoved herself up from the floor. She had to at least save Johnny. Roy needed his partner. Reaching back over the seat, she unsnapped the seatbelt and felt for a pulse again. Johnny stirred. "A-Ash?" His eyes remained closed, but he reached blindly for her, eventually letting his hand fall back down to his side.

"Yeah, yeah it's me, Johnny. Mr. Wise Guy bailed on us. It's just about a half mile back to the start of this stretch. He is hoping to catch a ride back to town and just gonna leave us high and dry. My leg is injured and I can't climb. So don't be a hero and tell me to leave you and go for help. I am going to have to get you out of this wreck and see how badly you are injured. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Johnny squinted at her, and then closed them again. "Yeah, I can see you."

"Does anything hurt?"

Johnny hesitated. "My left shoulder, where it landed on the door. And my head. Ribs hurt but I think this massive jacket protected them some, nothing feels internally damaged. Minor scrapes. Bumped my nose but doesn't feel broken. I think I will live. Let me try to climb out of this thing."

"No. Not yet. I have to support your neck. You've been out for a bit here, and with a previous concussion in your history, I am not sure if you have damaged anything or not, because you're already having problems. Oh, yeah. Left the cervical collar at the station. I have an idea, though."

"No, no don't bother-" Johnny tried to pull himself upright.

"Stay." She ignored his protesting and pulled herself out of the car, tumbling over the edge to land in the snow with a grunt as the wind got knocked out of her.

"You okay?" Johnny called out, desperation in his voice at being unable to move.

Ash squeezed her eyes shut from the combination of pain surging through her leg and the icy biting of the snow and forced her voice to sound calm and even. "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't move alright? I will be right back." She needed Hank. She needed encouragement. Closing her eyes, she tried to catch her breath. What was it Johnny had said to her back at the station? 'Remember why you fought in the first place.'

She crawled over to the trunk and shoved aside the crumpled metal, then rummaged around among the luggage until she found a turquoise jacket from her backpack and a shoe lace. Making her way back inside the car, she tumbled in again.

Johnny reached a hand up as if to find her, asking again if she was okay. She paused a moment to catch her breath. "Yeah, I am fine. Let me brace your neck and we will get you out." She carefully wrapped the jacket around his neck and tied it in place. Not the best, but better than nothing.

It took them a good half hour to get Johnny out of the cab of the vehicle. Once they were both on the outside, Johnny turned to Ash, his blood streaked face weary. "Let me get a good look at you?" Ever thoughtful paramedic.

Ash sighed and waved her uninjured hand at him. "It's nothing. You should be lying down and keeping that neck still." He looked comical with his turquoise lavender collar.

Johnny frowned at her through concussion hazed eyes, and shook his head. "No arguments."

Ash rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to win this one. If she felt better, she would have argued, but she was hot and slightly dizzy after extricating Johnny. During his quick examination, Ash studied Johnny's face. Some minor bruising. Favoring the left shoulder. Bruised. Still sluggish from the previous concussion. They were just lucky to be alive.

"You need stitches on that," Johnny said, concernedly, pointing toward the gash on her head. "It is gonna be cold but I need you to take off that coat sleeve for me and let me make sure your arm isn't broken." He stumbled to his feet and rummaged through the luggage that had been thrown from the smashed trunk during Ash's search for neck brace material. He scrambled back to her with sleeping bags and his backpack which he unzipped and rummaged through. He came up with a first aid kit. "Wish we had a link to Rampart," he laughed vaguely, trying to lighten the mood.

"Fine, let's pretend." Ash chuckled dryly, slipping her arm out of the puffer jacket she wore. Johnny shook his head.

"Not in the mood for it. Let me see that?" He motioned to her arm, rubbing his blurry eyes with his free hand.

He carefully examined the rapidly bruising arm, and then sat back on his heels, chewing his lower lip. "Definitely broken. Going to have to splint that." He reached for his backpack again, and then nearly doubled over when dizziness hit him like a brick wall.

"Johnny?" Ash grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, hey Johnny, I need you to stay awake for me, okay? Lay down, stay still."

He shook his head, and, as if in slow motion, slumped sideways into the icy snow. He drifted into unconsciousness.

Sitting in the snow, light flakes falling all around them, Ash realized they were in serious trouble. In the pit of her stomach, Ash felt the gravity of the situation weighing like a brick. She and Johnny were both hurt and there was no way to get help. It was an impossibility that she could climb up that mountain.

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Joanne hung up the phone, knees weak. Why did things always go so wrong? She picked up the phone again once she felt composed and dialed the number for Marco Lopez.

"Hello, Marco?"

Marco set down his coffee. "Joanne? Is something wrong?"

Joanne hesitated. "Ohm, well, I just got a call from Roy a little bit ago, and another one from the Aspen Colorado police, and - there - oh, Marco, there's a problem."

Marco felt his blood run cold. This always happened. "Roy?"

"No, Roy is okay. It's just - some convict escaped up there last night and they thought he was a hitchhiker and picked him up, and he ended up hijacking Hank and Roy, and stranding them outside of Carbondale and took Johnny and Ash hostage, and they drove into a bad area, and the road should be closed, and they can't find them and Johnny was still bad off with his concussion because he didn't rest on the flight down and - Marco! What are we going to do?"

Marco, a skiing man himself, squared back his shoulders. "Never fear, ma'am. I will find a replacement and book a flight down there this very minute. Marco will help them. You know I would anything for Roy and Hank. You know they are both very capable, though, and probably don't need help?"

Joanne smiled. "Thanks Marco, I appreciate it. I know that, but Hank is so stressed, and Roy - he is almost to his wits end right now. They were going to go out there and try to find them on their own. I am so worried about them. I know you are familiar with the area around there."

Marco nodded, although Joanne couldn't see him. "Don't worry, Mrs. Desoto. Marco is on it."

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Roy held onto the seat as the yellow and white Bronco bounced down the snowy trail that was a road in the summer time. Hank was driving as fast as road conditions allowed, and then some extra. His face was set in grim determination. "Roy," he spoke, suddenly, making Roy jump.

"Yeah, Cap."

"If he hurts either one of those kids, I may not be responsible for what happens to him."

Roy smiled at his captain, face taught and drawn with worry. "Don't worry, Cap. I will take my turn after you."

Hank nodded, and returned his eyes to the road. "Roy, I can't believe this is happening. A simple vacation. That's all I wanted. A ski trip with a nice lodge, some snow, some cross-country with my best friends, some bonding time with my little sister, time to relax, de-stress. Instead, I have two paramedics with concussions, a deranged convict that just happens to escape jail this week and take one of my men and my sister hostage, drives off with our rental car, enters a no-drive zone that just happens to not be blocked off due to vandalism that just happened to have occurred just recently. Roy, I am really ticked off right now, and it's not going to get any better until I get my family back."

Roy glanced at his captain. He said family. A gentle warmth grew in Roy's heart. "Hey, you know we would do the same for you, Cap. We are all family."

Hank shot a wan smile back to his senior paramedic. "Thanks, Roy." His eyes returned to the road, only to slam on his breaks. "Look, Roy, there is our man!"


	8. Chapter 8 - Ships in the Night

Chapter 8

 _Sorry guys! Been out for Winterfest 2018, beauty and the beast. Back at it now. Still a bit of writer's block...and we are snowed in with over a foot of snow, so not been able to focus on writing much. Anyhoo, onward!_

 _In response to both questions in the reviews, yes, Ash gave him the gun back. She isn't trying to be a hero. As explained before, she is in the depths of depression right now, and being a hero just isn't on her radar. She is just surviving because Johnny needs the help, not because she cares if she lives or not. The purpose of this journey is to help her overcome this very valid dark place that she is in, and she needs to realize that Hank isn't just babysitting her. He truly cares about her. She has never had anyone care before and she isn't quite sure what to do with that._

 _Thanks for the support Madilayn!_

 _To Beaglewhisperer27, thank you so much for the vote of confidence!_

 _Keep reviewing readers! You are all so special!_

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"What on earth happened?"

Johnny had woken up covered in sleeping bags and a coat wrapped around his neck, and now sat rubbing his face. He took in the car lying on its side, the snow around them, and the road way towering above them.

"We fell over the edge."

Ash sat next to him, huddled in another sleeping bag, chin resting on her knees. She spoke calmly, almost resignedly.

Johnny sighed. "No wonder my head is killing me. Now, how exactly did we _get_ down here?"

Ash sighed and crushed some snow in her good hand. "You, ah, you passed out."

Johnny's eyebrows rose in surprise, then he nodded slowly, realization dawning on his face. "Concussion?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You shouldn't have been driving. It's not your fault."

Johnny sat up, swaying momentarily, then the dizziness left him and he took a good look at her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I will be okay. Twisted my ankle, I think it's just sprained. And I sort of splinted my arm. Sure won't be doing any summersaults for a while." She surveyed the bandaging ruefully.

Johnny nodded. "Here, let me take a look at that." He motioned her to come closer, and examined the bandaging, making adjustments. "You did a good job for an amateur. Needs some help though. There that's how it should be. We really need to get this looked at by a doctor. Where is our hitchhiker?" He set about wrapping her ankle, glancing around them every now and then. The silence surrounding their little huddle was eerie.

Ash rolled her eyes. "He left us. He took his gun with him. I didn't feel up to wrangling with him over it. Not by myself anyway."

Johnny paused and shook his head. "You just gave it back? What were you thinking? You know you could have thrown it down the mountain out of his reach, or hid it?"

Ash slumped into a heap and hunched her shoulders. "Yeah, whatever."

Johnny shook his head. "Ashley, do you even think of other people?"

The look she gave him appeared hurt, but he could tell she was listening, having been called by her full name. "I got you out, didn't I?" she asked bluntly, miffed at his tone.

Johnny sighed. "Yes, you did. Thank you very much. Eternally grateful. But do you realize that you are so caught up in your own little world that you never consider how your actions affect other people. You decided, by George, I'm just gonna kill myself? Who cares what my brother will think? Now you just gave a desperate criminal a gun that he can go use to force someone else to pick him up. Or he may come right back here if he can't find a ride and who knows what may happen then? He might just kill both of us and oh gee, who cares? Hank's feelings don't matter anyway."

Ash had watched him rant with her mouth partly open in surprise. "Hank's feelings do matter! And we wouldn't be down here if you had rested on the plane and not spent the whole time trying to pick up a chick."

"We are down _here_ ," Johnny replied tightly, "because I threw myself over my partner and saved his life, and took the brunt of an explosion during our last call before we left. My concussion was much worse than Roy's. Rest wouldn't have made that much difference. We were both ticking time bombs."

Ash huffed but didn't say anything else. Johnny watched her a moment then began packing up his backpack.

She finally spoke, but didn't glance his way.

"I've been in a dark place, Johnny. I hated my dad for the things he did to me. Life was so miserable. I hated going home from school, and I tried to run away several times but he always found me. I wasn't always like this. Johnny." She glanced toward him with an apologetic smile. "I just became this way- but please don't think I didn't try. He wasn't mean all the time…just when he drank too much or was really stressed." She stopped talking and kicked at the snow. "Then Hank's mom and dad adopted me, and I was so rude to them. I was afraid that they would turn out the same way and that it wouldn't last. I didn't trust anyone. But Hank was awesome. He never let me stay down. He was always encouraging me and singing stupid songs, and pranking me. I was so mean to him. But I started to kind of love him. I started to believe that someone cared. He became the big brother that would protect me from the monsters inside of me."

Johnny reached over and nudged her knee.

"Then he left you?"

She winced, and nodded. "Then he left me."

Johnny frowned pointed to the knee. "Did you hurt your knee too?"

She nodded. "Glass."

He gave her a longsuffering glance and reached for his backpack again. "Let me look at that?"

She nodded, and continued talking. "He left. I kept hoping he would come back. I was so caught up in my own world of negativity that I couldn't understand why he left. He got married, and had his own home. I didn't see him much, cause he was doing exams, and working his way through the ranks to captain. Johnny. I was so selfish."

Johnny sighed. "Well, I do understand. My family wasn't - the kindest. My mother was Indian and my dad was not. So in our reservation, and at school, I was known as - a half-breed - Indian and they - well, they didn't take kindly to me. I was shipped around between families quite a bit, especially after my parents dies, and some people were - um- less than hospitable. Man, I was a wreck when I got out of all that and my aunt took me in. She worked so hard to love me and care for me. I just wouldn't trust anyone. Then Roy came along and he's been my best friend. He's like a blood brother to me. He made me fell -well, alive again and I - man, I'd give my life for him."

Ash sighed. "I am such an idiot. I terribly misjudged you, Johnny. You and all the guys. I just figured that Hank wanted to babysit me after - well, after I almost died, and that he was just keeping me around cause I was like on probation or something."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "No, smarty, he was keeping you around because he didn't dare let you out of his sight. Do you realize how scared he was that you were gonna die, and he felt like it was his fault because he should have paid more attention to what you were going through?"

Hank's face as he rushed into the hospital room flashed before her eyes, and Ashley started to cry. "Johnny, I'm so sorry. I've been so selfish. How could I have hurt him? He cared about me and I was too stupid to notice it!"

"Hey, don't go falling all to pieces." Johnny awkwardly studied the snow bank towering above them. "Hey, Ash, I will make a deal with you okay?"

Ash nodded silently.

"Just let's move on, forget everything all those bad people did to you and focus on building relationships with the people you have now. They will be there for you, and someday, if they aren't…well, hang in there because they will at least be on their way."

She nodded "Deal."

Johnny finished bandaging her knee that had been cut by the glass and got to his feet.

"Well, let's see if we can get a fire going. Maybe someone will find us."

"No one is going to find us." Ash looked around at the snow, still falling, and blanketing the car and their belongings. "It's all getting covered by snow. There won't be tracks or nothing and they won't see us down here unless they are standing right at the edge anyway."

Johnny shivered. "Well, we need to probably set up the tents at least, so we have shelter, get a fire going, find some food in the backpacks here. If they haven't come for us, then we are gonna get out of here."

"Johnny, I can't get climb there! My ankle. There's just no way." Ash ruefully indicated the wrapped ankle.

Johnny paused his tent building and frowned at her. "Look, Ash, I know it's not an ideal situation, but we are in a valley here. If an avalanche comes roaring down that mountain, we are dead. We have to get out of here. But I am too beat up to try it right now. Common knowledge says to stay in one place, but we are just gonna have to risk it. I'm getting you out of here somehow. Hank will kill me if something happens to you."

Ash laughed. "And Roy will kill me if something happens to you!"

Johnny smiled at her. "Exactly. Come on; let me get this tent up. You look for the food."

High in the mountain, a natural phenomenon was occurring. The snow was crumbling as a crack in its surface began to widen. Tiny pieces of snow began falling down the slope, growing in size as it went. In a matter of moments, great boulders of snow were tumbling down the mountain side. Building up speed, it was a tyrannosaurus that gobbled everything in its path. And directly in its path were Johnny and Ash.

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Hank gunned the engine of the Bronco, snow spinning out from under the wheels. "I am not stopping for that guy again, Roy."

Roy frowned. "I agree. But why is he walking on the side of the road alone, Cap?"

Hank glanced at his pal and a hard look crossed his face. "I don't want to know. I want to ask him where the kids are. But what if he has the gun? I don't want us to be hostages again. We don't have time. They are out there somewhere!"

"Well, they can't be too far away, and we know they drove in this direction." Roy reasoned calmly. "So let's not take the chance with him again. They have to be nearby because these roads aren't that great and he couldn't have walked too far."

Hank nodded, his teeth set in determination. "True." He gunned the engine again and passed the hitchhiker, covering him in a shower of snow that knocked him off his feet.

The convict angrily scrambled to his feet and, pulling his gun out of his coat pocket, fired a shot at the retreating vehicle. Glass shattered, and Hank grabbed Roy's shoulder and yanked him down in the seat. "Great, he's shooting at us. Get down Roy!" The cold air whipped through the shattered windows. Hank held the wheel steady, putting as much white road between him and the hitchhiker as he could.

Hank glanced over at his senior paramedic. "You alright Roy?"

Roy craned his neck to glance behind them thorough the broken window. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

Hank gripped the steering wheel so hard that the knuckles on his work -hardened, tanned hands were white. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." His face was scrunched as he gazed through the cracked windshield.

Roy nodded at the steering wheel. "Hey, good driving back there, Cap."

Hank returned the nod absentmindedly. "Yeah, thanks." He suddenly slammed a fist down on the steering wheel. "Roy," he started talking quickly, "I just can't get this straight in my head. My kid sister almost ends her life in the depths of depression; I somehow am spared losing her. Then Johnny, that knuckleheaded kid, gets his head bashed in a rescue and I somehow am spared losing him - for probably the three thousandth time - and now, all because I decided to pick up a hitchhiker I have lost both of them in the winter wilderness of Colorado. To make matters even worse-"

Roy laid a hand on his captain's shoulder. "Hey Cap, I wouldn't-"

Hank raised a hand to hush him. "No Roy, let me get this out. It's below zero wind chill right now, and the kidnapper is shooting at us, walking on the side of the road _without_ my kids, and I don't know where in blue-blazes they are even at right now. And I can't ask him because he's gone trigger-happy. And that right there is Route 24 ahead of us and I don't think they could have come this far."

The two searchers reached highway 24 with no sign of the two travelers. The worried glances of the patrolmen that were guarding the exit didn't make them feel any better.

Hank brought the Bronco to a halt and jumped out, followed by Roy. "Hi, Sheriff!"

"Roy, we had to have missed them." Hank gazed worriedly back the direction they came.

Roy rubbed his face, red from the cold. "Hank, I agree. But where? It's all white up there."

The sheriff waved to Hank and came over to greet the two men. "Hey Hank, Roy. Did you guys see anything on your way over?"

Hank quickly explained what was happening. The sheriff dispatched a car to retrieve the hitchhiker, and then turned to Hank. "We are going to send in a rescue team on foot. Let's go!"


	9. Chapter 9 - The Talk

_****also, please don't kill me for the non-canon appearance of Captain Hank Stanley's wife, Susan. She is never mentioned in the series, but had to give her a name in this story._

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Johnny plunked down a stack of twigs and broken branches he had gathered from the brush nearby. The pieces were damp from the snow, but he was hoping they would dry next to the fire. It had taken a lot of his remaining strength to pull down some of the drier branches, and he was a bit wobbly by the time he reached the campsite again. They had spread the sleeping blankets on the snow, so they were somewhat drier. But the wind was still swirling snowflakes around them in a dizzying curtain. With her good hand, Ash began breaking the branches into smaller pieces to feed the fire with. Johnny sank down next to her in a sitting position, breathing out a breath of relief. He had not realized how tired he had become. He picked up a thin stick and poked the center of the small fire and then rubbed his mittened hands together briskly. "Feeling better?" he asked quietly, his dark eyes tired.

Ash nodded in response. "Yeah. Thanks, Johnny." Her voice trailed off, as if her mind had wandered. She gazed off into the distance, absentmindedly breaking a twig into tiny one inch pieces.

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, sure, it's no problem. Let's get some hot coffee going. It's getting a little chilly with this sun setting, and the new snow coming in, and my stomach has been yelling at me for a while now. Do you mind not shredding the kindling, though?"

Ash looked down at her hands and realized what she was doing. "Oh, sorry. Just - thinking."

Johnny smiled kindly and then dug in his backpack again and pulled out a stainless steel pot. "Thinking about what?"

Ash tossed the twigs into the fire, where they hissed as the dampness of the snow in them evaporated into the flames. She sighed and ran her fingers through the snow, not meeting his concerned smile.

Johnny pursed his lips, and glanced at her, then began piling snow into the pot. "Ash."

He waited till she looked up at him, and then raised his eyebrows. "Thinking about what?"

She bit her lower lip. "Johnny, I know you want me to - I don't know - open up and tell you everything that has happened to me, and suddenly become this free and happy person - but I just can't do that. I'm not even sure how I feel about anything anymore. You - you all have given me a glimpse of the possibility of a different way of thinking and - I don't know what to do about it. You're all so - kind and I don't know if I believe it or not."

Johnny laughed shortly. "No not really, Ash, I just want you to start communicating with people instead of just sitting in your little shell like a stubborn old hermit crab, enjoying the prodding and pleading of those around you who are desperately trying to figure out what is going on inside your head, and how they can fix it, but you won't say anything, because once you tell everything, they fix it and you are right back at square one. No one to notice you, or pay any attention to you until they again realize something is very wrong, and they keep bugging you to find out and you hold out as long as you can because it keeps some kind of attention directed at you, even if it isn't the best kind of attention. Ash, there are better ways of living. This way is going to eat you up until there's nothing left of you."

Ash met his gaze firmly, her face crimson - and not just because of the cold air. "Johnny, are you a psychiatrist?"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "No. But remember, I went through a lot of the same thing when I was a kid. Half breed Indian, tossed about from home to home, roughed up by pretty much everyone in my family. Mom died when I was young, and Dad died when I was even younger. Man, I just survived. I hated getting out of bed every single day. Going to school was a nightmare. The kids would bully me, and beat me up. And all because I was different from them. Finally, I just shut everyone out. I chose not to feel emotions anymore. I didn't believe it when anyone said I was worth anything, or that I was awesome. I just put my shoulder to the wheel and endured. Eventually, I grew up and set out to become the absolute best paramedic I could be."

Ash tossed another stick into the fire. "Is that why you are so hard on yourself when anything goes wrong out in the field?"

Johnny sighed and set the coffee pot onto the fire where the snow inside it began to melt. "Yeah, I guess so. But the point I am trying to make here is that you need to just reach out when people reach to you. Roy has been such a big brother to me. He brought me out of that shell over time and he never questions my value, or throws faults up in my face. He - he's just like a brother." Johnny's voice trailed off as if his mind was wandering. With a start, he came back to reality. "Anyway, just some food for thought."

Ash nodded, her face thoughtful. "I - I do understand. Well, do you mind if we have some real food now?"

The dark haired paramedic laughed. "Sure. Granola bar?"

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Hank and Roy were driving back west the way they had come, leaving Rt 24 far behind them. They were quiet and tense, and the snow around them was falling heavier and heavier. Roy chewed his lip thoughtfully.

He finally spoke. "Hey, Cap?"

Hank jumped at the sudden sound and grasped the steering wheel tighter. "Yeah, Roy?"

"They are somewhere near here."

Hank took a deep breath and nodded but didn't speak.

"Hank, Cap, what's bothering you?" Roy asked calmly. His trained paramedic eye could pick out the slight tremor of the dark hands clutching the steering wheel as if it was a life preserver, the narrowed eyes, the repeated stiff clenching of the angular jaw, beads of sweat collecting on the furrowed forehead in the middle of winter, rapid and shallow breathing …

There was no response.

"Hey, Cap?"

Hank jumped again, finally glancing at his senior paramedic, his dark eyes squinting at the sudden change from the bright lights in the falling snow to the darkness of Roy's face in the shadows. "What is the matter, Roy?"

The senior paramedic leaned back against the passenger door, propping his elbow on the window edge, chin in his hand. "We are going to find them, Cap." Roy spoke quietly, calmingly, as was his training, as well as his nature.

Hank slammed both fists onto the steering wheel. "Roy, I know we will find them. We will either find them now or when it thaws in the spring. Either way, by George, we will find them. But why did he leave them? He wouldn't have just got out and walked away in all this snow. He either shot them - "

"Now, Cap," Roy warned, pointing at his captain, "We can't go there yet."

Hank sighed, and weariness washed over his tense shoulders. He slumped down in the seat. "Yeah, yeah I suppose not."

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"I checked in all of the luggage!" Marco waved Joanne over to where he stood beside check-in, smiling at the taller dark haired woman that followed her with Joanne's children. Olivia was content as a clam on the taller woman's hip, and Chris was skipping along smiling beside her. "Susan, here are the boarding passes. Come along, we board in a few minutes."

Marco set the carry-on bags down, and rubbed his temple. A pain was settling there, a result of his stress. He was responsible for his captain's wife, his partner's wife and two kids, and of getting them all safe, states away, to the ski lodge.

Susan, Hank's wife, had accompanied the distraught Joanne, her own face creased in concern. When they had not been contacted by their loved ones after the initial alert of Johnny and Ash's disappearance, the little crew had come together to go to the aide of their men. Marco felt the weight of the responsibility settling on his shoulders. He was a skier himself, and he was well versed in the treacherous high mountains. He did not voice his concerns to the ladies, however, but determined to do whatever he could to bring his friends home - one way or the other.

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"Hank, it's getting dark. We should probably find somewhere to stop before we drive off the road in the snow." Roy ruefully surveyed the fleeting light in the higher mountains towering above them.

The Bronco was creeping along the slippery road, followed from a distance by a state police Crown Vic. Hank struggled to keep the 4 wheel drive from sliding in the deepening drifts. He shook his head, mumbling to himself. He was not going to give up.

"Roy, is that smoke?"

Roy turned to look where Hank was pointing. Not far away, over the edge of the cliff, he thought he glimpsed smoke rising in tiny wisps. Hank slammed on his brakes and threw the Bronco into park. He and Roy jumped out, and hurried toward the edge of the snow bank. Snow fell softly around them, erasing any previous traces of tracks, if any had been there before. They gazed tensely into the darkness, straining their eyes to see. But there was no trace of smoke. Not even the smell of smoke. Hank stood there for a moment, hands on his hips. Snow sat playfully in his dark hair, and settled in a light coating on his jacket. His face was lined and worn. "I saw it, Roy," he said stubbornly. "I know I saw it."

Roy glanced worriedly at his captain, who was now gazing across at the frosty mountain, a stubborn angle in his frown. The snow was falling heavier now, nearly covering the headlights of the Bronco, giving them an eerie glow. Roy rested a hand gently on his captain's rigid shoulder. "Hank, we really need to figure out what to do. We need to set up a rescue tent or something." Roy's blue eyes were worried. He motioned to the landscape behind them. "The snow is going to strand us out here and we will freeze to death before we can find them. Johnny will take good care of Ash, you know that. We have to set up shelter."

"What if he shot them?" Hank suddenly snarled through clenched teeth. "What if they are somewhere bleeding, dying - Roy, we have to continue. I know I saw smoke. Let's keep moving down the trail."

Roy threw his hands up helplessly into the air. "It's snowing, Cap, we just won't be able to see anymore. Let's set up a rescue HQ and when the Sheriff gets here with his boys, we will set up a plan of action." He felt dizziness wash over him for a moment. He was getting weary and his head was hurting again. In his heart, he prayed that his partner just had to be okay. Visions of Johnny injured drifted into his vision, and he clenched his eyes shut, angry at the tears that squeezed from them.

"I'm putting a lot of faith in you right now, John." He thought to himself, lifting his head to the sky, and watching the snow falling that was beginning to cover the headlights of the police car as well.

Suddenly, Hank nodded firmly as if making a decision. He cupped his hands to his face and shouted as loudly as he could through the deafening silence of the snow, "Johnny!"

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"There we go," Johnny set the coffee pot onto the snow, and reached for a cup in his suitcase. "Boiling like everything, now. You shall be warm in just three shakes of a lamb's tail." Carefully pouring a cup half full, he handed it to Ash, who took it with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Johnny."

He nodded and poured a cup for himself. "No problem."

Ash handed him a granola bar from her bag. "Here."

Johnny accepted it and chuckled. "Thank you! Warm enough?"

She nodded, and bit off a piece of the granola bar. She swallowed hard. "Johnny?"

He poked the fire again. "Yeah?"

"They are going to find us right?"

He sat back on his heels, the bandaging wrapped around his head shining ghostly white in the dusky evening and making him look like an Indian warrior. "Yeah. Yeah, they will. Roy always comes through for me, and Cap isn't going to take no for an answer until he gets you safely back with him again." For a moment, there was a silence between them. The unanswered question of _what if_ hung there, shouting its obvious question mark through the pitter patter of snow.

Ash smiled wanly. "Now that he's not here, there's so much I would like to tell him. I'm sure Roy would like to have you back too. I'm sure he's very worried about you, what with your concussion and all."

The young paramedic shifted his weight so he was leaning back against the snow bank. His face was pensive. "Yeah, I'm sure. Good ole Roy. Tell me kid, how did you and Hank meet? I mean, he was twenty six when his parents adopted you. He married Susan shortly after that. You were eight years old, so how did you guys - I don't know - hit it off?"

Ash glanced at him, eyes wide at this sudden turn of discussion. "Uh, well…Hank - um, Hank's Dad is a construction foreman that worked in downtown LA. Part of the high-rise builders. His coworker, my dad, and he worked the same shift. They became good friends. He - my dad - drank - quite a bit. Hank's dad would drive him home a lot, and just took him under his wing. During all of this, my mom was really sick, and he never even noticed. He wasn't good to her, and when I would try to defend her, he would beat me too. I started trying to hide Mom before he came home, but he always found us. Hank would come over and bring food for us from his mom, and we kind of got to know each other a little. I was afraid of him, but he was just so funny. He was like a brother to me. He would play with me in the backyard when Mom was resting. He'd push me in the swing and play tag, and once I even talked him into a tea party. I wasn't quite as - withdrawn back then. He was like the cool brother, ya know?"  
She glanced at Johnny, and smiled. "All the kids knew that Hank was my friend, and he was a hero. Like my Zorro. Things were going okay…." She stopped talking and fiddled with the granola bar in her hand. "That's when things got really bad."

Johnny laid a hand on her knee and gestured to the bar. "Eat that before you finish the story."

She glanced gratefully at him. "Thanks, Johnny. I'm just not very hungry all of a sudden."

He chuckled dryly. "Gee, wonder why."

At that moment, snow from the tree branches above where they were under fell into the fire, effectively putting it out. Johnny groaned. "Aw, shucks."

Ash gazed blankly at the fire then began laughing. Johnny started laughing too. He shook his head, and began trying to repair the fire. It was quiet around them, except for the scraping of the twigs in the fire pit Johnny had made as he rearranged them. The snow whispered around the two stranded travelers, each flake falling through the air like tiny white dancers. And suddenly, above it all, a familiar voice was heard.

 _"_ _Johnny!"_


	10. Chapter 10 - Over the Edge

_Thank you to all my reviewers! You are awesome!_

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Johnny and Ash looked at each other, surprise written on both of their faces.

"Hank?" Ash whispered, gazing up at the rim of the hill above them, her face scrunched in an incredulous expression. Johnny's characteristic crooked smile crossed his features and he cupped his hands to his face and shouted in return, "Ho there, Cap!" An expression of concern crossed his face when he realized that his voice did not have its normal strength and volume. He was more tired than he had thought. 

High above them, Roy and Hank slapped each other on the back, welcome relief releasing the tension they had felt for such a long time. "Hang on there, Johnny, we are right above you!" Hank shouted back down to the trapped travelers.

Hank quickly waved to the police officer and sheriff who were standing by the Crown Vic and then shouted back down the mountain, "Is everyone alright? Any injuries?"

Johnny nodded, although they couldn't see him. "Some minor injuries, Cap, but we are both alive."

Cap breathed a breath of relief and bent over, hands resting on his knees, head hanging tiredly and his eyes closed.

"You okay, Cap?" Roy laid a gentle hand on his Captain's right shoulder, his eyebrows narrowed in concern above his blue eyes.

Cap nodded, turning his head sideways to glance at Roy. "Yeah, just give me a minute, pal."

Roy nodded, and walked away to speak to the officers. "Okay, how soon can we get a rescue team in here?"

The police officer and sheriff tried contacting the rescue team that had been dispatched from Carbondale, but discovered that they were still an hour away, coming from another rescue nearby, but had been delayed because of the sudden heavy snow. Roy explained to the policemen that he was a trained paramedic from LA and his friend was a Fire Captain. He also explained in no uncertain terms that his Captain's sister and his own partner were the ones below in the valley and they were not waiting an hour to get down to them. Carbondale Fire and Rescue was also on the way, with an ETA of twenty five minutes. The men would let the on-duty team commence with the actual rescue once they arrived with the necessary gear, unless the conditions became too severe for the situation, or unless the weather suddenly became worse. Roy wanted to make sure of his friend's status in case it wasn't as minor as Johnny had assured them. His dark haired partner tended to underestimate his own injuries so as not to worry Roy.

In a trained tandem approach, Hank and Roy prepared to climb down the mountain side. It wasn't as easy as they had hoped; the snow made the descent extremely slippery, and the jagged rocks embedded in the snow threatened to shred the ropes to fibers. The ropes (that they had found in the Bronco) had to be tied to nearby trees. The valley was fairly shallow although the lost travelers could not be seen from the top, and Roy knew that the tumble down to below could not have been painless for the passengers of the hijacked rental car. He and his captain did not have the gear that they needed to safely rappel down the cliff face, but any delays in reaching the stranded victims could have serious consequences. The ropes and their skill alone would have to see them through.

After nearly fifteen tense minutes, the two men finally dropped to the snow beside their companions. Roy, in immediate paramedic mode, studied his two friends. Johnny's head was bandaged, and he had a makeshift neck brace made up of a jacket tied around his neck. Ash's arm was in a makeshift bandage sling, and her knee was wrapped up. He moved to Johnny first, concerned by the neck brace.

"Hey, pally." Roy laid a gentle hand on his partners shoulder.

Johnny chuckled, and flashed him a wan half-Gage smile. "Hey partner, wondering when you would show up."

Roy laughed, trying to lighten the angst of the situation. "You know me, Johnny. Just can't live without ya." 

To a listener not acquainted with Station 51 that would seem an awkward statement to make. But Johnny smiled and nodded. He and Roy were practically blood brothers. They thought the same, felt the same, and cared for each other more deeply than most partners. Roy, the ever level headed and sensible senior paramedic, always looked out for his sometimes fiery, wired, younger partner. And in this moment, feelings were shared more in gentle examination of injuries, and warm glances from the blue eyes, rather than scolding's and speeches.

"Should I be worried about that?" Roy motioned to the neck brace. Johnny reached up and touched it, as if just noticing it was there.

"What? This? Oh, that. Nah. Just a precaution-"

Hank knelt beside his sister, concern lining his normally passive face. "Hey, kiddo." He pulled her into a gentle hug.

"I was scared you wouldn't find us." She spoke quietly into his shoulder, hugging him tightly.

Hank looked down into her face and smiled kindly. "I will always find you, Peanut. I'm your brother. You sure can't hide from me."

Ash laughed, a catch in her voice. "How lucky I must be then."

Hank pulled her into another hug. "Very funny. Arm?"

Ash frowned. "Johnny said he thinks it's fractured. Hurts like everything. Johnny wrapped it up real nice for me. Got glass in my knee and he wrapped that up too. He-"

At that moment, she overheard Roy's question about the neck brace.

"What? This? Oh, that. Nah. Just a precaution-" came out of Johnny's mouth.

Ash snorted. "Don't listen to him. He cracked his already cracked head on the side of the car, and I wrapped his neck up so if there were any spinal injuries then it didn't get worse. He proceeded to pass out for about twenty minutes after we got him out of the car. He hit his left shoulder too, when he landed on the door in the initial crash. He also told me his ribs hurt, but nothing seemed damaged. He also has some minor scrapes. Also bumped his nose, but there was no bleeding. He was out for quite a bit right after we landed down here too before we got him out. I took the chance of moving him and got him out of the car, because I didn't want the car to explode or something. Roy would have killed me if something had happened to his partner."

Ash smiled shyly at Roy and was rewarded with his gentle smile in return.  
"Thank you, Ash. I appreciate that. Much better report than what Johnny was giving us. However, it is very dangerous to move anyone that is injured, especially is there is suspicion of a neck injury." Here Roy cast his partner a disapproving glance.

"Aw, Roy," Johnny mumbled, rubbing his face with his free hand. "Don't worry. Nothing a little sleep can't fix. Going to take it easy and sleep tonight and we can ski tomorrow."

Roy shook his head. Typical Johnny. "Right now, Johnny, you guys are both going on a trip to the ER, once the rescue department gets here with the Stokes. Definitely won't be skiing tomorrow."

"Hank? Can't we just stay up here like we planned to? I'm sure the police will have questions, and we don't have to ski for a few days so we can let Johnny's head rest. But can't we still stay up here for the two weeks?" Ash asked sadly, Johnny's expression mirroring hers as well.

Roy and Hank glanced at each other. "Okay, fine." Hank tossed his hands up in the air. "Can't resist either of you guys and your puppy faces. I guess a trip up to the cabin and some hunting for me and Roy, and relaxing and sleeping for you two can't be a bad idea. Depending on what the doctor says."

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Marco gazed around him at the happy faces of the passengers. A movie was playing in the front of the plane and the cabin lights had been dimmed. He thought about his captain and his friends Roy and Johnny, lost in the snow covered mountains of deep Colorado. Images of avalanches, plummeting temperatures, and scavenging wild animals ran helter-skelter through his mind. And in his heart he began to pray.

The little group's descent into Colorado was rough. The icy wind was creating issues with landing on the small runway. The passenger plane bounced mercilessly against the violent storm front that was dumping buckets of snow upon the ski country. In the time it had taken for the aircraft and its passengers to safely park on the ground in their terminal, poor Marco had gone through every prayer he knew and then some, and a few of them more than once. It was some time before the little group had retrieved their luggage, rented their temporary car (a maroon AMC Eagle) and had successfully packed in the bags and the children, and by that time Marco was feeling very ill. Susan sat up front with him, a leader just like her husband, and was scanning the road map that would take them toward Aspen. Joanne, in the backseat with a sleeping Olivia and a bouncy Chris, could feel her nerves fraying. Her husband's captain would take it so hard if his sister was gone. And she didn't want to think of how Roy would react if his partner was truly lost to them. She hugged her children close and bowed her head, a whispered prayer floating through the silence.

Marco brushed a hand across his eyes, and strained to see through the snowy curtain. "Hang on Cap," he mumbled through gritted teeth. "I am on my way, Roy, old pal." The slippery road threatened to slide the long car sideways and his knuckles were white through the tanned skin of his strong hands. "¡Dios mío!" He grasped the steering wheel tighter and glanced in the rear-view mirror. "Chin up, Jo. Roy is a fighter. He will move heaven and earth to find them. And Johnny, you know how he is. The little hard-headed devil. He _always_ makes it. And Ash, well, Johnny won't let anything happen to _her._ "

Joanne smiled at him. "Thanks Marco. Thank you for putting this together so quickly and helping. I appreciate it and I know Roy and Hank would too."

Marco nodded politely, his dark mustache twitching as he gritted his teeth again against a harsh gust of wind that sent the tail of the car sliding into the opposite lane. "No problem, Jo. Anything for my team."

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High up in the mountains, a large avalanche had been tumbling into the valley. It had come to a halt in the flat field below the mountain ridge where the monster had been born. Beyond the ridge that held its massive power, was the valley where our firemen are now convened. All it took was a little rabbit, skipping across a crack in the fragile snow sheet, and away it went again, an unleashed monster gobbling trees, rocks, and snow pack. It was towering above the valley, visibly in sight of the men below. Gobbling, gobbling. Hungry, ferocious and unsatisfied.

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 _This chapter has taken a week to write lol! Some serious writer's block going on. I promise some serious action coming in the next chapter! As well as a serious Hank/Ash conversation!_


	11. Chapter 11 - Failed Rescue

Chapter 11

Finally! I have been up against the proverbial writer's brick wall, you guys. Finally feel like the story is starting to move again. Thank you all for your kind reviews and follows. It means a lot!

There may be a lot of parts of this chapter that are not scientifically correct, specifically the part having to do with avalanches. I am aware of that! Just taking a little literary liberty with fiction! Thank you for your patience! I can't kill off our favorite characters! Also, not a lot of people took airplane transportation back in that era, because it was super expensive, so I know it's kind of improbable that the paramedic's family would have flown everybody down there on a firefighter's salary, but it's story magic yall! Onward!

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"The rescue squad should be here any minute." Roy spoke encouragingly to the small group, as he was helping Captain Stanley pack up the randomly strewn about belongings that lay in the snow. "Once they get here, then we can get you guys out of this joint. Hey, Junior, you okay?" Roy's glance had fallen on his tired partner whom he could barely make out in the dusky snow, and he paused, one hand resting on his hip.

Johnny nodded and waved a hand toward his partner, a slight slump in his shoulders indicating he was getting tired. He was sitting nearby, watching his friends clean up the site, under the shelter of the trees. His face was a bit paler than when the senior paramedic had first seen him, and the bruising on his face was barely visible against his skin, its color matching that of the darkness surrounding them.

Cap threw the last of the backpacks into a pile and shouldered his own. "You just make sure to let Roy know immediately if you feel any dizziness at all, got it pal?" Cap's voice indicated he meant exactly what he said. His stern gaze sealed his comment and Johnny knew he was not going to get by with underplaying his condition this time. He glanced up at his captain and nodded wryly. "Sure. Got it, Cap."

Johnny blew out a breath and shifted his weight to lean against a tree. "Can't say how glad I was to see you two." His face contorted for a moment into a grimace, and then it faded as he settled into the new position, taking his weight off of his injured shoulder.

Cap glanced at Roy then shook his head. "Man, we were glad to see you both too. We thought you guys were goners, pal."

Johnny rubbed his face, and propped his chin on his knee. "Yeah, I thought we were goners too."

Cap glanced over at Ash, who had been silent this whole time. She was leaning against the stack of backpacks over by the crumpled car, head down, and silent.

Johnny looked at Hank, and jerked his head toward Ash. A tiny grimace flashed across his face at the sudden move, and Roy's eyes narrowed in concern. Roy had moved to stand near the wall of the canyon, leaning his weight on one of the ropes that had carried him and his captain down to the valley floor, his calloused hands easily grasping the rope. He was watching his partner with a gaze that made Johnny uncomfortable. The blue eyes of the senior paramedic missed nothing. Johnny felt like his partner could see every ache and pain that he could feel and he tried his best to mask it all with a classic Johnny smile.

Cap moved away to kneel beside his sister. The snow still fell around them and in the darkness, the flakes could be heard landing softly in little pitter-patters. He set his flashlight in the snow next to them, lighting their little circle with its amber light.

"Hey, there. You doing okay?" His voice was low and kind. He sat back on his heels, one hand on his hip, brow furrowed in thought.

Ashley raised a troubled face to meet his concerned dark eyes. "I totally messed this whole thing up, Hank." Her voice was strangely calm and matter-of-fact, but broken.

He shook his head and reached to adjust the sling her injured arm rested in, then turned off his flashlight and hefted it in his hand. He sat down in the snow next to her and propped his arms on his knees.

"How did you mess this entire thing up? I don't recall it being your fault that the hitchhiker broke out of jail. If you recall, it was my idea to pick him up. I also don't recall it being your fault that he had a gun on him. And it sure isn't your fault that Johnny had a concussion, passed out, and ran you guys off of the road, trapping you in a canyon where we couldn't find you until a little while ago."

Ash sighed and looked away. "But Hank, I didn't take his gun away." She clenched the fist of her good hand. "I had a chance. I had a perfect chance. I could have taken it. But Johnny was passed out and I was scared, and – I just didn't care."

Hank leaned forward and studied her face in the dusky darkness (what little he could see). "Well, that wasn't helpful, I will admit, and very dangerous. It could have been dangerous to fight him over it too, though. I'm not sure what I would have done, given the same situation. Hey, what is this I hear though? You – my peculiar, quiet little sister - taking responsibility for a situation? You're doing well. You wouldn't have done that before – uhm, well a while ago."

"No. No." She shook her head fiercely, angry tears gathering in her eyes. "No, you don't get it. I didn't care what happened in that moment to me – or to Johnny. _I just didn't care I didn't care if he lived or died. I was so calloused to the outside world that I – just – didn't –care! What is becoming of me?_ "

Hank felt his blood run cold and his breath caught in his throat. She had never been this open with him and he didn't quite know which part to respond to first. Should he respond to the I didn't care part, or the calloused to the world part? One wrong word and she would clam up again, and he would lose his chance to break her out of this shell once and for all.

At that moment, a distant rumbling sound above them caught their attention. The darkness shielded the oncoming terror with its snowy curtain from the eyes of the travelers, but the sound was unmistakable…and bone-shaking. "Ashley!" Hank leaped to his feet and shrugged off his backpack, his voice tense. "Quick! Ash, get that backpack off and follow my lead. John, Roy! Grab the ropes and HANG ON! Sounds like an avalanche!"

Johnny had already been pulled quickly to his feet by his partner. "Johnny, grab this rope and hang on!" Roy tied the rope around his partner, and around his own waist then turned away from the younger paramedic and strained his eyes through the darkness to find his friends. Why couldn't it be a full moon tonight? "Cap, you need help?"

Hank grabbed Ash's free hand and rushed toward the wall of the valley. "I've got Ash, Roy! Hang onto those ropes and whatever happens, do not let go. We are headed your direction. When I reach you, grab Ashley. There are some trees below us. Grab them if you get swept down there, but be careful. Don't get your head bashed in. Johnny, are you-"

A thundering white cloud swept past them, cutting off Hank's command. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as Roy shouted his captain's name, but to no avail. Johnny leaped as if to dive into the snow to rescue his friends, but Roy grabbed his jacket and yanked him back, wrapping his arms around the smaller paramedic. His hands clung to his friend as if his life depended on it, for indeed it did, for both of them. All around them, the thundering was deafening in their ears. Snow swept down the canyon valley, wiping the valley clean of everything in its path. Roy and Johnny were in the shelter of the canyon wall, well out of reach of the avalanche, but buffeted by the stinging wind that the monster created. Blinding snow flew through the air, creating a stinging whirlwind that slammed them against the rocks. Some stalwart evergreen trees below them in the wooded ridge bravely held their ground, the roots winding deep into the bedrock. But a few, however, were ripped violently from the valley floor and tossed about in the flood of snow like little matchsticks in a river. The hungry monster raced on into the deep valley, leaving only a deafening silence in its wake.

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"Marco, we have no recent news, but the last we heard they were alive and in good spirits. No word on injuries yet." The police chief informed Marco. Marco had left his companions at a hotel in Aspen. He had convinced the women to stay, and that he would let them know when the group arrived at the hospital so they could come see their husbands. When the plane had landed, the good news had reached them that the friends had been found, and Marco was supposed to head out there and help bring them to safety. The relief he had felt at the news had lifted his heart and the worry he had been under on the trip over had melted away. The chief had kindly met them at the hotel and they were almost to the site when a dispatch came over the radio.

"Cap, youre not going to believe this. We have a – um – confirmed powder avalanche at sight of the valley rescue. We have no contact with any of the victims at this time. Rescue team still one hour out."

Marco's heart dropped. " _Mi palabra!_ I can't believe this."

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Ashley slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt and she could not focus on the snow in front of her face. She tried to rub a hand over her face, trying to stop the stinging from the icy snow, but found she was unable to move. "What the-" She lifted her chin a little and could barely make out the snow bank she was nearly buried in. "Great. How did that happen?" She shook her head a bit to clear the cobwebs that seemed to have overtaken her and immediately regretted the move. A sharp pain in her temple blocked out all other thoughts for a moment and it was with even greater confusion that she focused on the voice that crept into her brain.

Find Hank.

Who is Hank.

Roy.

Johnny.

Who were they?

She tried to heave herself up to a sitting position and immediately fell backwards, her head spinning. The grit and determination that she usually felt when faced with fears and past memories was draining away, leaving her injured, confused, and worried about people she could not remember.

"Ashley?"

She heard her name through the intense brain fog and tried to squint into the darkness. A dark shadow loomed over her and her brain whirled again. "Who-are -who are you-"

She couldn't get the words out.

Blackness engulfed her and she was gone.

"Ashley?"

Hank gazed down at her, cradling her previously broken arm in his hand. "Ashley, honey, come on please wake up."

Snow clung to his tanned face and his eyelashes as he dug stubbornly though the snow to free his sister, a grimace of pain and effort twisting his normally placid features. He had received a few scrapes and bumps in the tumble down the mountain, and he was pretty sure he had badly sprained his left wrist, but the greatest pain was wondering what had become of his boys. He could only hope they had not been swept down the mountain as well and buried in the hardening drifts.

The darkness was so thick that he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Grumbling at the blasted snow that had ruined a perfectly executed rescue effort, he felt for the flashlight that hung at his belt. It was still there. With a sigh of relief, he unhooked it from his belt and tried to turn it on. It flickered and then its small glow went out. A snarl of rage escaped his lips and he slammed it across the snow. It flickered and then miraculously came to life, lighting up a very small area. He ran a bruised finger across his sister's neck, feeling for a pulse, like he had seen Roy and Johnny do so many times. Satisfied that she was alive, he leaned back for a moment to catch his breath and collect his thoughts. All around them snow fell in a continually moving curtain, drowning out the calls of the rescuers farther up the valley.


	12. Chapter 12 - Desperate to Survive

_Hi y'all! Sorry for the false alarm chapter update! There was a slight technical error. I have attached the new chapter. Sorry for any errors you may find. Wrote this in a bit of a hurry, as the inspiration hit! Enjoy!_

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"You okay, Junior?" Roy leaned down a bit to speak into his younger partner's ear. Johnny's head was slumped forward, his chin resting heavily on Roy's forearm. "Junior? Hey, Junior, you okay?"

No response.

Once again, he wondered, why couldn't it have been a full moon? "Can't see a blasted thing." Roy grumbled, reaching for the ground beneath them with his right foot, trying to secure a footing. "John!" He gently shook his partner, and rolled his eyes when there was no response. "Great."

Above the stranded paramedics, the shouts of the police officers could be heard. Suddenly, a bright light shone down into the faces below, causing Roy to instinctively shield his eyes.

"You guys okay down there?" The sheriff that had accompanied them was leaning over the edge, a bright spotlight in his hand.

"Thanks for the light, Sheriff. Could you aim it a little less directly over us? Thanks, that's better. Johnny is out. What is the ETA for the rescue team?"

"Forty minutes."

Roy grimaced. "Yeah, okay."  
He carefully let his unconscious partner slip to the ground, kneeling beside him with the dark haired paramedic's head on his knees. "Hey, hey, partner. Stick with me okay? I know it's been a rough way to go, but help is almost here. Just a little bit longer." He turned slightly to glance up at the sheriff helplessly watching from above. "Hey, sweep that light across the valley here and see if you can catch a glimpse of Cap or Ashley!" He concentrated on his partner, ignoring the dizziness that tugged at his own mind. He couldn't fail Johnny now.

Marco leaped from the police chief's patrol car almost before it stopped and rushed toward the cliff edge, zipping his coat against the cold, and was almost to the edge where the sheriff put up an arm to stop him.

"Sir! Sir, please stay back from the edge-"

"Let me through, senor!" Marco growled, moving quickly past the barricade and leaning over the side of the ridge to see where the bright beam of light was directed. "I am a coworker of Roy and Johnny's. I have experience in skiing and avalanches. Got to help my men. Excuse me for a moment. Roy!"

Roy was still tensely examining his still and silent partner. The shock of what had just occurred and the pain from his recent injuries and his previous concussion had been too much for Johnny and Roy's experienced hands could tell he was starting to shake and shock was taking over, as well as potentially hypothermia. The call from above startled him. "Marco?" The surprise in Roy's voice tugged at Marco's heart. "Marco, man, am I glad to see you! Johnny is out cold and an avalanche just took Cap and Ashley down into the valley – I don't know-" His voice trailed off and a chill ran down his spine, sending a wave of nausea over him. He was beginning to feel the effects of the day's fatigue and strain.

Marco noticed the hesitation, and spoke calmly.

"Don't worry, Roy, we will get you out of there as fast as we can. Rescue team is a half hour out."

Marco turned to the sheriff and lowered his voice. "45 minutes. They have 45 minutes in that avalanche at the most!" Marco tapped his foot in the snow nervously. "Fifteen minutes worst case scenario. Come on, move on it! Give me a beacon. I can ski down through the valley and see if I can see them."

The sheriff frowned. "You could also trigger another avalanche that could take Roy and Johnny beyond our reach too. Or bury Captain Stanley and Ashley even deeper in a snow coffin. No, not going to work. We have to get Roy and Johnny out of there, before we touch that snow."

Marco kicked the snow and walked away, muttering words to himself in Spanish that he didn't want anyone else to hear.

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Hank slowly stood, the dire situation finally sinking in. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, shaking off the snow that had nested in his dark hair. He glanced around the valley, now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. He could see that all around them was a barren wasteland. No shelter could be seen except for a small hunting cabin on the other side of the valley, a half hour trek across unstable snow and there were no trees. Just an ocean of snow. He punched the snow with a fist and turned his attentions to his sister. She was still unconscious. "Hey, Ashley? Ashley, honey wake up please."

Her eyelashes fluttered beneath the dusting of snow and he brushed the flakes away with his right hand, careful not to touch the gash on her forehead that Johnny had bandaged up. The snow had ripped the dressing off. "That's it, come on. Wake up and talk to me."

Slowly, her eyes opened and Hank immediately saw the confusion in them. She did not recognize him. He decided to play along to keep from agitating her.

"Hi my name is Captain Hank Stanley. I am a fire captain from LA fire department station 51. I am here to help you. I just need you to answer a few questions, is that okay?"

She did not meet his gaze but gave a tiny nod of her head, then squeezed her eyes shut in pain. "Captain Stanley."

He frowned and tilted his head to look her in the face. "Yes?"

She threw her head back and took a few quick breaths. "What is my name?" She turned pleading eyes to Hank's face. "Please tell me who I am."

Hank frowned. She had forgotten everything. He also knew that maybe he would find out why she had tried to end her life if her memories returned to that point. But that was a slim chance. There was a slim chance either of them would survive the cold night without their gear. There was also a slim chance they would be rescued. The snow was still dangerous and darkness would hinder efforts of a ground crew. Maybe a helicopter could get out but in the increasing snowfall it was doubtful.

Hank smiled kindly. "Your name is Ashley Stanley. We have the same last name. My parents adopted you when you were eight. My name is Hank. We were friends."

She gazed up at him, expression blank. "I'm sorry, Hank. I just don't remember."  
She shivered, and he sighed, glancing around them again.  
"Don't worry. Hank will keep you safe. Those memories will come back as soon as you rest a bit and get somewhere warm."

He ran a rough hand across his own face. What on earth was he going to do? "Does anything else hurt?"

She hesitated then nodded uncertainly. "My right knee."

From the accident, Hank remembered. Johnny had bandaged it. Hank's heart hurt thinking of Roy and Johnny. "Alright, Ash, honey we are going to have to try to make it to that cabin on the other side of the valley."

She nodded wearily. "Okay. How far is it?"

Hank took a deep breath. "Uhm, not too far. We can build a fire then and you can rest." He frowned and eyed the shadow of the cabin in the distance. It looked as if a whole continent separated them from its safety. He shook his head. He had to try.

"Alright, honey, come on let's try to get up okay?"

Hank picked her up bridal style, cradling her broken arm. He stood, finding that apparently he had twisted his left ankle too. Gritting his teeth, he began the long, cold walk to the only shelter he could see.

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Marco paced the icy road like a caged lion. "And just why can't we send out a helicopter?!" He sat down on the hood of the sheriff's patrol car, a defeated hunch in his broad shoulders. The snow was falling faster than ever, and he knew it would be too dangerous to send out a helicopter with such low visibility. It wouldn't hurt to complain though. It was either that or he would lose his sanity just waiting there in the dark. The sheriff, who introduced himself as Dean Mitchell, sat down next to him.

"Sorry, man. They are correlating with Rescue and the Chief. If the Chief says go, then we will send a chopper up. Got to wait. It's going to be labeled as a recovery mission anyway. It's been almost twenty minutes."

Marco cast him a dark look and folded his arms across his chest. "You don't know my captain, Mitchell."

The sheriff nodded. "No, I suppose I don't. If he is worth all this concern and worry, then he must be a real good fire chief. You know, I once knew a guy in Sacramento -"

A shout across the road brought both men to their feet, interrupting the sheriff's story. Bright lights cut across the curtain of blowing snow, and a rescue squad rumbled into view. The waiting group cheered quietly, afraid of starting another avalanche.

"Hang on, Roy," Marco muttered under his breath, clapping his gloved hands together to restore the feeling to them. "Help has arrived." He glanced up at the sky, and blinked against the onslaught of snow that fell into his face. There was no way the chief was going to let a chopper go up.

The police chief waved toward Marco. "Come on, man. Let's get these guys up here. I've got a rescue chopper on the way for the other two. There's no way I should be allowing this, but let's just say LA wants their fire chief back."

The expression of surprise on Marco's face made the chief chuckle. "Don't count your chickens yet, Marco. The pilot is a daring young man that our force has great trust in. We would be very disappointed if something happens to him. But so far, he has flown several dangerous flood missions and one search during a blizzard. He has done well so far, so we feel semi-comfortable with his efforts. He is on his way right now, and will search the valley with a spotlight. In the meantime, let's get these boys out of this valley. Roy!"

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In the meantime, Roy had been assessing his partner. Johnny was fading in and out, and mumbling in his unconscious state. "Come on, Johnny. Don't do this to me. You've got to stay with me." Roy desperately patted his partner's face, drawing him slightly out of his shell, but then just as quickly Johnny faded back into his own world. Roy shook his head and pulled his partner's coat tighter around him, zipping it to his chin. He rubbed Johnny's hands in his own - to stimulate the blood flow - then ripped off his own gloves and tugged them onto his partner's shaking hands. He sat back on his heels for a moment

He propped his right elbow on his right knee and rested his forehead on his arm. This was not how this week was supposed to go.

He thought about his captain, so quickly ripped from their grasp as soon as they had him back. It just wasn't fair. Their captain that had gone through fire with them, had laughed with them, joked with them. The captain that they trusted with their lives, to call them out of a fire just when it was too dangerous to stay in a moment longer. Their captain that they had rescued several times, and had listened to his lectures when he was trying to keep them on the straight and narrow. The captain that trusted his men to always be their best and never disgrace his ranking or his station. Their friend that had trusted them with his family story and the care of his sister. The captain that they would never report to again.

Roy angrily brushed tears out of his blue eyes, feeling his face flushing from the rage that rushed over him. He stood and punched the snowy wall, it's unrelenting stone leaving him with a bruised hand. His anger flowed away, leaving him chilled and sad. He looked down at his partner and sighed. Somehow life had to go on. He just wasn't sure how.


	13. Chapter 13 - Search and Not Rescued

_Thank you all for your views! Really pleased by the traffic this story is getting. Don't forget to review, I love reading them! Once again, sorry for any errors below. This was written kind of quickly. Should have another chapter up by the end of the week. For those following my Beauty and the beast story, there will be an update on Saturday. Thank you lovely people!_

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Hank focused snow-blinded dark eyes toward the direction of the lonely shack that still seemed to be eons and ages away, feeling as if the journey would never end. Stumbling through the thigh deep snow, his twisted ankle long ago forgotten as the icy cold numbed the pain, Hank was nearly dragging himself and his sister through the drifts, well aware that they were losing valuable energy. However, without adequate shelter they would not survive. His long fingers, stiff beneath his gloves, ached to the bone. The left wrist, twisted in the tumble down the mountain, felt weak and shaky. Strong muscular arms, cradling his sister against his chest, were trembling from cold and exhaustion. Dark spots appeared before his eyes for a moment as he stumbled, and fell to his knees, eyes closing as the relief of stopping flooded through every bone in the fire captain's body, allowing him to catch his breath. A sharp pain rose in the furrowed brow at the sudden stop then subsided to a dull ache. Resting his forehead on his sisters arm for a moment, Hank tried not to think of how far they still had to go, and then raised his head to look at her as best as he could in the darkness. She was still and quiet. "Hey, Ash, honey," he whispered in a voice faint and unsteady with exhaustion and cold. "Don't you leave old Hank out here in the cold by himself now, okay? He doesn't like being alone. Ashley?"

He frowned in concern and quickly brushed back the snowflakes from his sister's face and shook his head. Snapping his frozen fingers clumsily near her ear, he tried to get a response from her – any response would do. Pulling his glove off his good hand with his teeth he felt for a carotid pulse. Blowing out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he realized that Ashley was merely unconscious. Struggling to pull on his glove with fingers that refused to obey him, he had never felt so hopeless in his life. If he wept in the cover of the darkness and snow, it was something in the years to come that he would never mention. With a grunt of exhaustion, he stumbled to his feet again and kept walking. He walked and he walked. The snow pattered around them in a blinding curtain. Its icy touch became tiring to Hank and he gritted his teeth against the weariness that crept into his very bones. He took a few more weak steps and nearly lost his footing. He was nearly done. Glancing around for the cabin, he saw it still around a half hour away. A whimper escaped his blue lips as he closed his eyes for a second, drawing on reserves of strength he just did not have. He took another step and sank to his waist in the deepening snow. Coordination was failing him, and each muscle burned from the overexertion. Gritting his teeth again, Hank tried to take another step. Somehow his knees gave way, causing his feet to slip and like a lead rock he fell onto his back in the snow. The sudden jolt brought a small whine came from his sister's still form as she landed on his chest but remained unconscious. Gasping for breath, the fire captain knew he was spent. He had no energy left. "I'm sorry, Ash." he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut against the onslaught of snowflakes falling into them. "I'm sorry." He pulled her as close as he could and exhaustion welcomed him into her cold, dark embrace. His arms fell limp to his sides, and still the snow fell.

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Marco paced back and forth like a caged lion at the top of the ridge. Things had begun to move quickly as the long awaited search and rescue team moved into position and began the arduous task of bringing the two LA paramedics to the surface.  
It was as if in slow motion that Marco jumped to reach out a hand to help Roy haul himself to the top just seconds before the Stokes reached the crest of the ridge. Johnny was still and quiet, strapped down and blanketed from the bitter cold. It was a scenario that had played itself out so many times in the firemen's heads, as Johnny seemed to be the more accident-prone among them. Marco watched as Roy moved to lay a hand on his partners shoulder, and followed the Stokes to the waiting squad and ambulance. Reluctantly, Roy watched as search and rescue loaded Johnny into the waiting ambulance and prepared to take him down the treacherous path to Aspen. For a moment, Roy stood in silence, leaning against the ambulance door, head bowed, and large hands planted firmly against the cold metal, torn between following his partner down to the hospital or staying to rescue his captain. The chief of the Aspen team walked over, banging his mittened hands together to warm them up.

"Roy Desoto?"

Roy turned squinted eyes toward the chief and spoke, the voice rough with concealed emotions. "Yeah?"

"We will take care of your man, Roy. Hey, you should ride in too and get checked out. LA tells me that you both were recently released under caution after admission for job-related head trauma."

Roy rolled his eyes away from the concerned chief's face and grunted. Good old Doctor Brackett. "I am fine, chief. Fine. Just get –" His voice lowered to a gentle tone. "Just get Johnny in, okay?"

The chief studied the senior paramedic's face then shrugged and clapped his hand twice on the rear door of the ambulance, signaling the men inside it was safe to go.

The ambulance pulled away, beginning its slippery journey. Roy watched it leave for a moment, a pained expression on his weary face. The shouts of the rescue team's banter brought him to reality and he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. Waving away the men who insisted he go down the mountain with them, Roy put his hands in his pockets and strode slowly, shoulders bowed, to stand next to Marco.

"Thanks for coming, Marco." He spoke quietly, scuffing his boot through the powdery snow, not meeting his coworker's gaze.

Marco smiled, revealing his white teeth. "No problem there, Roy. Joanne and the kids are going to be happy to see you."

Roy turned confused and weary blue eyes to his coworker. "Joanne? The kids? How-do they know?"

Marco's smile faded at the alarm growing on Roy's face. "Well now, Roy, here is how it happened. When you didn't contact Joanne, well, things just sort of happened. She called me, all upset, and begged me to go look for you guys, because the weather was so bad out here. Then Susan-"

"Wait." Roy held up a hand. "Susan too?"

Marco shrugged. "Well, when Joanne headed this way, she came too. We flew out here as fast as we could get flights. And here we are. I left her and the kids and Susan at the hotel in Aspen. They don't know about the – avalanche - though. I just heard about that on my way over."

Roy gazed steadily at Marco, the turmoil evident in his sad eyes. He lowered his head and roughly brushed the snow from his pants. "Last thing I want to do is go tell Susan that Cap is gone."

Marco's breath caught in his throat and his mustache twitched. It sounded so final when Roy said it that way. He glanced down toward the dark valley where the cruel avalanche had taken their captain and most likely buried him beyond their reach.

Marco put a booted foot on the bumper of the squad car and leaned his weight on his bent knee. "Ya know something _, mi amigo_?"

Roy put his hands on his hips and tilted his face up toward the sky, hoping to make everyone believe that the dampness on his tanned cheeks was merely snowflakes melting upon contact. "No, what, Marco?"

"I don't know why. Call it an attempt to remain ignorant in the face of facts, but I have a good feeling about this. Gonna take more than an avalanche to keep Cap down."

A muscle flexed in Roy's jaw as he turned away from Marco. "Good feelings won't bring him back, Marco."

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Andrew Baliff scanned the white expanse below his nimble helicopter, his eager eyes watching for the lightest movement. He was a thrill-seeker. An adrenaline junkie. And he loved flying in risky situations, especially when the goal was saving a life. He had flown out of Aspen upon orders, but had experienced delays in reaching the valley due to almost no visibility. Relying only on his controls, he had been able to avoid a mountain strike, and had claimed some visibility once the depths of the valley lay below him. He picked up his CB radio.

"Mary 6500 reporting to Ground. Come in. Over."

"Go ahead, Mary 6500."

"Ground, I am experiencing near complete whiteout conditions. I have dropped lower for visibility, but the ground is completely white below me. No sign of anyone. The ceiling is very low. Once I reach complete whiteout, I will report. Over."

"Roger Mary 6500. Affirmative. Once you reach complete whiteout, report and we will pull you out."

"Roger. Wilco. Mary 6500 over and out."

Andrew spent nearly two hours scanning the mountainous terrain. The bright beam of his searchlight swept the valley over and over and over. Finally, the snow was coming down in such force that he could barely see where the ground was and the sky began.

"Mary 6500 to Ground. Come in, over."

"Go ahead Mary 6500."

"We have achieved whiteout conditions, as well as low fuel. I think I can make it though. Requesting permission to continue search for thirty minutes. Over.

"Negative, Mary 6500. Abort mission. Over."

"Ground, I can make it."

"That is negative, Andrew. I want you down from there. I mean now. Over."

There was a long pause, then Andrew spoke again.

"Wilco Ground. Mary 6500 over and out."

Roy's shoulders slumped and he threw his hands in the air. Marco reached to put a hand on his shoulder, but he moved away, mumbling to himself. Marco gazed up at the sky, unable to hide the tears that came.

It was as if in a dream that they heard the rescue squad call the search. There was no way that two people could have survived that avalanche, and have been buried for almost three hours in single digit temperatures and still have survived. The squad car carried them slowly down the hillside to where two wives and children awaited the news. But only one husband would be returning today.

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The fire crept closer. Pinned beneath a fallen timber, Captain Hank Stanley desperately tried to pull himself free from the restraining beam. The flames danced closer then drew away over and over, as if taunting him with their searing heat. The smoke made his eyes ache, his mind felt muddled and there was a heavy weight on his chest. The fire was coming closer, closer, closer. The burning became intense….with a start, Hank opened his eyes. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he was alive of not. His hands and feet felt as if they were on fire, and the ground beneath him was hard and flat. Slowly, his thoughts unscrambled and he realized that he was lying on a hard wooden floor. It had only been a dream. His blurry vision gradually cleared and lifting his head, he could make out a hunched figure sitting on the fireplace hearth, the small fire in the old fireplace giving the figure an eerie silhouette.

"Who – who are-" His voice felt strangely weak to his ears, and overwhelming dizziness took all of the energy in his body. His head fell back down on – his coat? Suddenly realizing that he was covered with a blanket and his heavy jacket was under his head, Hank felt a surge of energy, and he sat up on his good elbow. "Who are you?"

The silent figure at the fireplace stood up slowly and sauntered a few steps closer. Hank could make out the shaggy black hair, burning green eyes, and the red scar across his cheek. It was their hijacker.

Hank made a quick move as if to stop the young man, but the man held up a restraining hand. "Don't worry, dude. I won't be here long."

Glaring at the man, Hank finally let out some of his anger. "If you hadn't messed things up, mister, my men and I would be on a nice two week vacation in the mountains instead of surviving here in the valley in this blasted cold!"

The hijacker didn't seem phased by Hank's outburst. He shrugged and squatted next to the fire chief. "Keep your shirt on, buddy. I am moving on. You almost had frostbite out there. Keep the fire going. I'm sure there is some food in here somewhere. The cops can't find me here, cause I am not going to be here when they come. They won't know you are here, but you'll be able to recover enough to get out of here when it is daylight. Your girl is on the couch. Still unconscious. See you around alright?"

Hank was left a bit speechless at the blunt explanation. His heart suddenly felt torn, as his good guy instincts kicked in. "Hey, dude, don't go out there, okay? You won't make it in this weather."

The escaped convict turned and cast him a grim smile. "Don't worry about me. I will be fine."

Hank closed his eyes for a second as another wave of dizziness washed over him. He heard the door open onto the porch, and the boots of the convict stomping into the cold snow.

"Hey!" Hank called weakly after him. "Just stay, dude. Leave when the weather breaks."

The convict turned again to look at him, and Hank noticed for the first time a gentle smile on his face. "No thanks, buddy. Take care of yourself okay."

And the door closed, blocking out the cold, leaving only the sounds of a crackling fire in its wake.


	14. Chapter 14 - Promises to Keep

_You guys! I am so sorry I abandoned you all. I have had to take over a couple jobs at work, and I simply haven't had the time to focus on writing. I had a chapter ready for my BATB story and it got lost in a server update, which is very upsetting, so I took my emotions out on the crew (sorry!) Let me know how you like this chapter! Any reviews are welcome! BATB readers, I am trying to recover my update, and will post when I do. Apologies!_

* * *

Over the police chief's radio, the waiting fireman and his paramedic partner heard the chilling words, "We are calling the search."

Marco threw his hands into the air and lunged away from where he had been leaning on the side of the snow covered police cruiser, a torrent of Spanish mumbling reaching his partners ears. Roy stood as if frozen, his head bowed, and his hands clenched into fists. He squeezed his eyes shut, his teeth set together, trying to contain the grief that washed over him. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. For just a moment, his concussion-addled brain could not handle the terrible news and he slumped to the ground, his back against the warm front grill of the police cruiser. He leaned back and rested his head on the hard metal and gratefully accepted the relief that the position gave to his sudden nausea. He did not feel the frozen snow embedding itself in the seat of his snow pants and the coldness seeping into his bones. The shouts of the rescue team around him did not register any longer, and he did not notice Marco in animated conversation with the rescue team from Carbondale. How could he go back and tell Susan that her husband lay entombed in the frozen valley below and his body may never be recovered. How could he return to LA to stand in roll call with his remaining crew members, facing a new captain that was unaware of the team's history together. It would drive the close knit crew apart. Even worse, how would he tell Johnny that their captain had been lost while trying to save the young paramedic's life? If Johnny even survived his own injuries.

Roy gritted his teeth. He was helpless against the onslaught of fear and sorrow. The thoughts kept bombarding his mind, swirling it like murky flood waters and he clenched his hands into fists again, the knuckles showing white against the normally tanned skin now reddened with the cold. He was drowning in his own grief. Through the haze, a nagging voice kept calling him. "Roy. Roy." Nagging memories. Stupid, stupid nagging memories.

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _"Roy!" Joanne walked out of the kitchen with a smirk on her face, gentle voice carrying an undertone of mischief, baby Olivia perched over her shoulder. "Come in the kitchen, dear, and see what Johnny did! You are not going to believe this one!"_ _The senior paramedic shook his head in disbelief. He knew without looking that his young handy man of a partner had gotten the stove working again. Roy could have fixed it himself, but the insecurities of the younger man were easily remedied by having him become helpful to the small family. Roy always 'struggled' with repairs when Johnny was there, only to endure Johnny's smart remarks about Roy's handy-man abilities at the office but not at home. If no one needed him, sometimes Johnny felt left out. After all, he didn't have a family of his own. So Roy always felt it was worth it to endure the teasing and enjoy the proud smile on the young man's face when Joanne announced how he had mended yet another stubborn item around her house._

 _Roy smiled furtively at Joanne. She winked at him and he nodded. Chris was reading a book on his lap so Roy was reluctant to move. "So," he spoke in a tone that was slightly too loud. ""Did you actually fix the stove, Junior, or are we gonna get blown to Arkansas the next time Joanne turns it on?"_

 _A patient sigh could be heard in the kitchen. "Roy, it's not that difficult. The wiring had come loose in the power socket. Just had to tighten it up a bit and you are good to go. I've turned it on and off several times now. If we were going to get blown up, then it would have happened already. Have some faith in the handyman!"_

 _"So you were just going to blow me up, Junior and not warn me first? i might have wanted to kiss my lovely wife goodbye and hug my children." Roy feigned offense at Johnny's handling of the situation, although he was near to bursting with the laughter he was containing inside._

 _A groan of frustration was heard and the young paramedic replied in a condescending tone. "Roy, I can assure you that would not have happened. Trust me, will ya? It was just a loose wire. Not a gas pipe."_

 _Roy smiled and nodded, although Johnny couldn't see him. "Oh sure, Junior. It was just that easy. Let me come see what mess you have made now."_

 _Chris immediately leaped off of his lap and ran toward the kitchen screaming, "Unca Johnny fix da stove!" Joanne chuckled and took the book Roy was holding. They shared a quick celebratory kiss that Johnny had once again felt useful, and Roy headed to the kitchen. He could hear little Chris giving a running commentary._

 _"Daddy! A hole! Unca Johnny, what a mess!"_

 _A sinking feeling arose in Roy's stomach and he entered the kitchen, squinting in the bright lights. "Uh, Johnny is that a hole in the wall?"_

 _Johnny was sweeping up scraps of wire with a small broom. There was grease from a wrench across his cheek, his hair was full of sheetrock dust, and there was a small scrape across his left hand. "No worries, Roy. I will have it patched up shortly. Hey, Chris, watch out for the toolbox there. Don't want to hurt any little piggies now do we?"_

 _Chris paused in his exploration of the toolbox and grinned at Johnny's reference to his toes. "No Unca Johnny, we sure don't!"_

 _Johnny smiled that crooked smile at the little boy and turned to his ever-patient partner. "Roy, I promise! Don't worry at all! It will look great when I am done. Just leave the paint and I will get it patched and primed."_

 _Roy shook his head. "Johnny, you never cease to amaze me. Let me see that hand, okay?" JOhnny glanced at his hand and quickly hid it behind his back._

 _"Nothing, Roy, nothing at all." He smiled again._

 _That crooked smile._

* * *

A gentle hand rested on Roy's shoulder and he jumped, brought back to harsh reality. For a moment, he was angry, as the memory had taken the edge off of his grief and pain. He had to face it again. Marco knew nothing of what his friend was enduring mentally, though, and knelt beside him. "Roy, I spoke to the command center. They have released the search, and it has been moved to a - um - body - recovery. You need to get some rest, okay? You don't look so good. Head down with the team. I will come down as soon as everything is organized."

"Can't face her, Marco." Roy spoke tersely, his words barely audible through lips stiff from the cold. Marco studied the senior paramedic for a second, then pulled off his gloves.

"Here, wear these. Can't face who?"

Roy waved away the gloves. His paramedic nature kicked in a little, and he turned a calculating gaze on his friend. "You'll get frostbite, get those on."

Marco shook his head stubbornly and proceeded to take one of Roy's hands in his own, to shove the glove on whether Roy wanted them or not. "Put them on, Roy. I have more in my coat pocket."

A defeated slump crept into Roy's shoulders and he allowed the fireman to put the gloves on without a protest. The cloth stung his cold skin, and for a moment he had pain to focus on. Then the pain faded to a dull ache, and he saw Marco kneeling before him again.

Marco gazed calmly into the pained blue eyes. "Now, can't face who?"

"Susan." Roy finally managed to choke out of his voicebox. "I can't face her and tell Susan that her husband is -"

Roy swallowed hard and set his jaw, the muscle in his neck tense. He closed his eyes, as another wave of nausea flowed over him.

Marco nodded, concern on his haggard face. "Well, I am not giving up, Roy. The team is leaving soon. They haven't cleared you to go down there, though. You are going to bottom out soon, remember you were just in the hospital for a concussion."

The blonde paramedic stubbornly began heaving himself to his feet. "I'm goin. I'm goin too." His chin was set stubbornly, but his face was as pale as the snow around him. His breathing was becoming ragged and uneven, and he couldn't find a grip on the car behind him.

Stubbornly, he shoved himself to his feet, but fate was against him. His knees could not take his weight and the world was spinning. Marco tried to grab his arm but was just a few steps too far away and missed, and his partner collapsed in the snow.

* * *

Captain Stanley watched the door close behind the strange escaped convict, mixed emotions running through his mind. The man obviously had nine lives. He really did wish him luck. But a certain part of his mind was relieved that the man had left. He just couldn't be trusted.

Assessing his situation, Hank realized that the burning in his hands and feet had diminished. The convict had removed the snowy coat and snow pants and now his other clothing was dry. He had to have been out of it for a while. The fire was mesmerizing to his exhausted brain, and for a moment, he fell back down to the floor, and closed his eyes. Anything was better than laying in the snow. He thought back to the helpless feeling of holding his sister as close as he could, knowing they were about to freeze to death and his heart hurt. A sudden jolt went through him and he realized he didn't know where Ashley was. The convict had said something about that - what was it? He struggled to a kneeling position and looked around the small room. He was so focused and desperate that he missed the small heap on the couch. A second survey of the room found her.

"Ash!" He stumbled to his feet, and ignoring the pain in his twisted ankle, that he could definitely feel now, he scrambled to fall on his knees by the couch. Ashley was still wrapped up in her coat, and was shivering. Hank gritted his teeth. The convict had only covered her in a blanket. Why hadn't the strange man tried to help her?

She had not responded to his call, and this worried him. "Ash, hey honey?" He pulled off the blanket, now damp with snow and picked his sister up in tired arms. "Come on now, old Hank just doesn't like it when he is all alone with no one to talk to, okay? Come on and wake up now and let me see those pretty eyes."

Flaskbacks were running through his head of arriving at the hospital not so very long ago. He couldn't lose her again. Tears were running unheeded down the bruised face, red and scratched from the icy, blowing snow. Their saltyness stung the raw skin with a pain that was completely unnoticed as he stood to his feet with his burden clutched close to his heart. He reached one foot up to the couch cushions and kicked them off into the floor. Shoving them closer to the fire, he laid his sister on the makeshift bed and wrenched off his gloves. Feeling for a pulse, he was satisfied that it was strong enough, and he blew out a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, baby girl." He leaned close and kissed her forehead. "Big brother's got ya."

It took him nearly a half hour, but eventually he was able to get her heavy snow clothing off. He bundled his coat under her head, and carefully placed her broken arm across her chest. he tried not to notice the bark bruising that had overtaken it, not the faint white lines across the thin wrists. He busied himself heating water and looking for bandages. He didn't find any, but he did find a can of chili and a can of pears in the wood-box. It could have been filet mignon for all he cared. He hacked the top off with a small axe that he also found in the woodbox and put them close to the coals to heat. From his perch near the fireplace, Hank couldn't take his eyes off of the pale face sleeping nearby, and the bruised gash on her face that Johnny had so bravely bandaged before the avalanche.

Johnny.

With a sick feeling in his stomach, Hank sat back on his heels and realized he didn't know what had become of his paramedics. Were they lost in the avalanche? Had they made it out? He had not way of finding out. But he did have a feeling that if they had been close then the convict would have brought them all to the cabin. Maybe they were buried deep in the snow, never to be seen again.

He shook his head. No he wouldn't go _there_.

A slight moan from the sleeping girl brought him to reality and he rushed to her side, falling on his knees next to her.

"Come on there, Ash, honey. That's it. Hey."

He smiled down into the dark eyes and was relieved when they focused on his face.

"Hank?" Her voice was barely audible in the silent cabin.

"Yes?" he held his breath, hoping she would recognize him as her brother, and not just as the fire captain that was rescuing her.

"We made it to the cabin?"

His heart sank a little as he remembered telling her he was going to try to get there.

"Yes, we did. Do you know who I am?"

She grimaced and shook her head. "You said you were Captain Hank Stanley of LA something, I forget the number."

Hank's heart inwardly broke, and he nodded. "Yes, you are correct. We are going to stay here for a little bit till the snow stops. I am going to rip up this other blanket, okay? I have to try to splint that arm again."

Immediate tears sprang to her eyes, focused on a spot above them in the ceiling. "Do you have to?"

He had moved away to retrieve his axe (since scissors were nowhere to be found and his knife was lost in the avalanche), and he turned back to face her. "Yeah, I'm sorry, Peanut." He ignored the disappointment on his sister's face and began hacking the blanket into strips. He didn't realize the effect it was having on Ashley until she suddenly lost it.

"Stop, just please, _stop_!"

He jumped, startled, and looked over to see her silently sobbing her heart out.

"Ashley?" Without thinking, he rushed quickly over to her side, the axe still held firmly in his hand.

She scrambled to her feet and stumbled away from him, much to his surprise. "Ahshley, Ashley stop, okay? You are going to injure that arm beyond repair. Now sit down, okay? You need to stop!" He could easily have stopped her but didn't want to risk injuring or scaring her any worse than she already was. How he wished Roy was here. He was so much better at this stuff.

She didn't stop moving until her back was against the wall and he was standing in front of her, confusion clear on his face. "Ashley, honey, it's me, okay? I am not going to hurt you." He winced. That was sort of a lie. Bracing that arm was going to hurt. A lot.

"Don't hurt me anymore, Dad, you promised you wouldn't. You promised!" she whimpered, her eyes fixed on the axe.

He looked down at his hands and realized that the continual hacking and his approach with the weapon was what seemed to be setting her off. It hurt him to think that she had once said something like this to her dad, and that her Dad had actually promised not to hurt her. He should never have had to promise that. Even worse, he had never kept that promise. Now Hank was going to try to keep it for him.

Hank tucked the head of the axe in his back pocket and slowly approached his sister with extended, empty hands. "Ash, it's your brother, Hank. I've come to take you home, okay?"

She eyed him in confusion, but the words somehow matched a memory in her brain, and she stepped toward him cautiously. He caught her before she almost fell again, and picked her up. "Won't let nothing happen to you ever again, Peanut. That's a _promise_."


	15. Chapter 15: Another Heart to Heart

_I am back lovelies! Let me know what you think! Thank you all so much for your continued support. I sort of lost connection with this story, and it's back now, much to your benefit!_

 _As always, read and review!_

* * *

Man down, Dean!" Marco called for the sheriff, his voice desperate, and he knelt quickly beside his fallen co-worker. "Roy? Roy, come on now, answer me okay?"

The paramedic lay quiet, not moving in the still-falling snow. His breathing was erratic, and his slack face was pale. Marco shook his head in disbelief and ripped off his ski coat to cover the paramedic's still form. Sheriff Dean Mitchell came running to fall to his knees beside the concerned fireman.

"Get your coat on man, this isn't the Amazon!" Dean spoke harshly to Marco in his haste. He just couldn't believe it. The LA men around him were just dropping like proverbial flies. Dean reached for the fallen paramedic's jugular and paused, his head tilted to one side, feeling for a pulse. None - no, not quite - yes! It was faint, but it was there.

"Get me an ambulance to the rescue location, stat. Man down." Dean spoke quickly into his shoulder radio and turned his upper body to face Marco. The Mexican fireman's normally tanned face was ruddy from the cold, and stiffly lined with the tension that he felt falling upon his own shoulders. His captain was lost somewhere in the valley below, his younger paramedic pal was on his way to the ER and his strong senior paramedic had just completely collapsed. Somewhere in a little hotel back down in Aspen sat two amazing women and two beautiful children waiting for their husbands and father to come back to their waiting arms. Marco didn't want to come home without them. He just couldn't. In the haze of the moment, the rest of the team managed to get Roy packed into the rescue squad without Marco's help. Somehow, he found his coat hanging over his own shoulders and a foam cup of hot coffee clutched tightly in his frozen hands. The sharp pain of the losses he had endured were numbed to an ache and he slumped forward tiredly and gulped the steaming liquid, not even feeling the burning as it slid down his throat.

"You coming with us, buddy?"

Marco raised his head to find Dean Mitchell standing before him, shouldering a backpack of supplies and another backpack at the ready, sitting by his feet.

"Got to go get them." The brave smile the young sheriff gave him lifted Marco's spirits for a fraction of a second. Then he crushed the now empty coffee cup and shouldered the backpack. Here went nothing. He followed the Sheriff to the staging area, where the recovery would be planned in detail. If only the snow would stop.

* * *

Captain Stanley stirred the small fire, the stinging of the thawing skin in his hands helping him maintain a grasp of reality. He was trying to keep a calm and level head, and rationalize the best way out of their situation. Keeping his mind busy, he had wrapped his sprained wrist and was preparing to wrap his sprained ankle when a slight noise behind him caught his attention, and he half turned to see Ashley stirring in her sleep on the couch. She had fallen asleep after her fear-driven outburst earlier and he had taken that time to finish preparing a meager dinner from the canned food he had found before tending his injuries.

He moved quickly to her side.

"Ash?"

Ashley slowly opened her eyes, and moved a hand to rub her face. Hank grabbed the pale fingers in his own, eyeing the head injury that Johnny had tended, noting it was still angry looking, and wishing that Johnny or Roy was here to check it out.

"Don't touch that, Ash. You have quite the knock on your head there."

Ash glanced in his direction, her features relaxing when she finally came into focus and nodded once, and tried to sit up. He helped her, eyes glued to her face, watching for some definite sign that she truly recognized him. She looked around for a moment in confusion. "Why aren't Johnny and Roy here?" For a brief second, Hank realized she was back again. But he also knew he would have to explain the tough reason her friends had not accompanied them to the cabin. She had not been in any condition to notice, and he honestly wasn't in any condition to explain it, but he tried. "Well, there was an avalanche, Peanut. You and I got carried down here into the valley like a couple of paper airplanes. I haven't seen the boys since. That escaped convict showed up and helped us get here, somehow. You were pretty out of it. I was for a bit too, woke up in here. Hey, at least we aren't frozen." He almost said "Like the boys may be," but those bitter words he could not speak and he let his voice trail off and he glanced away.

"You look pretty rough." Ashley spoke quietly, reaching up a small hand to tough his wind-chapped cheekbone. He winced at the warm touch, and took her hand in his again.

"So do you, for the record. I have some hot water boiling. Let me wash off that head wound okay?"

Ashley nodded mutely, studying his bandaged wrist and ankle. "Do they hurt much?"

Hank had moved to the stove and half-turned when she spoke to see what she was talking about. "Do they- what, my sprains?" He chuckled. "Naw, not half as bad as they will hurt tomorrow."

Ashley smiled a little, and walked over to the hearth on shaky feet, sitting down with the fire at her back. "What is the big plan then, o fire chief brother of mine?"

Hank glanced at her, realizing for a moment that was almost her old self. Before he left her and broke her heart. A pain went through his chest for a moment and faded.

"Well, Peanut, the rescue team will probably begin a - body - recovery - mission as soon as it is stable enough. They won't find us in here right now, obviously. The blowing snow won't help, because it will cover all tracks. On the bright side, once the weather clears, if they are still in the area, they will hopefully see the smoke in the fireplace and - best case scenario - they will come this far up the valley and find us. Problem is storms up here can last for days." His voice trailed off again, and he turned and busied himself with the hot water, placing a reddened finger in the water, and realizing that he really couldn't tell how hot it was because of the numbness of the skin. He poured some more snow into it and nodded in satisfaction when the steam lessened.

He moved back to where Ashley sat and reached up to dab the wound on his sister's head with the water. She winced and moved a hand to stop him, whimpering his name, but he took it firmly in his other hand and continued the treatment. "Try to stay still, Peanut. You are gonna have quite the bruise in the morning."

"What about Roy- and Johnny?" She asked quietly, gritting her teeth against the stinging over her eye.

Hank Stanley did not have the answer to that question. He shook his head, and with that single motion, he was neither confirming nor denying that his boys would ever be found.

"So there is a chance that none of us will make it out?" She asked, eyes dark with worry. He hesitated for a moment, his gaze locked on hers. Should he be honest? In that moment, flashbacks of the two of them playing together appeared in the backdrop of his mind, scenes of when her father was drunk and angry, Hank sneaking her out of the house for a few hours, and scenes of him leaving for college, effectively leaving her with no one to confide in. He had to be honest. If he didn't, he would never forgive himself. He shook his head. "There is that chance, Peanut."

Her gaze left his, and she gazed down at her hands.

"I should have been nicer to them." She spoke quietly, a small sniff alerting him to her deteriorating emotions. Hank glanced concernedly at her, wondering if this was the moment of truth he had waited for. But she was silent while he wrapped the makeshift bandages around her head, and when he finished, she began to pace the floor. He knew from experience, that she only did that when wrangling with decisions. He sat back on his heels and waited. In time, he knew that she would come to him. He had to believe that.

She moved to sit next to him as he was dishing out the meager dinner, and laid a hand on his arm. He laid down the spoon and half turned to face her. He was startled to see the tears silently dripping down her face, and he moved to pull her close. She held up a hand to stop him, and spoke quietly. "Hank, we -I - need to talk."

* * *

Roy awoke to sounds of nurses running to and fro, intercoms buzzing annoyingly in the back of his brain, and the steady beeping of a heart monitor close to his bed. His head throbbed and it's pounding seemed to match the pace of the orderlies pushing machines outside of his room. Why did it all seem so familiar? He listened carefully for a familiar voice, but nothing was registering in his mind, and he realized with a sudden pang of fear that he didn't know what had happened or why he was apparently in an ICU room.

He slowly opened his eyes to find the room he lay in was a small curtained, dimly lit partition, and Joanne sat at his side, her hand in his, head resting on the cool sheet that covered him. He moved his hand to lay it on her head, and she immediately awoke, bleary red-rimmed eyes focusing on him, disbelief written on her face. Then a tight smile found its way to her pale lips and she took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "Roy, you are awake!"

He sighed, a weary sensation creeping into his bones. "What happened, Jo?"

She looked down at the sheet, and swallowed, and that brought Roy to a level of high alert. "Jo?" He shook her hand free of his and tilted her chin up to face him. "Jo, why am I here?"

"Roy, do you remember the avalanche?" She asked gently, eyebrows knit in concern.

Roy's hand fell limply to the bed and he looked up at the ceiling tiles.

Cap. Ashley. The avalanche. The trees ripping from their bases, the shouting, the blinding snow, the roar, hanging onto the rope - hanging onto - Johnny.

"Johnny."

Jo realized Roy was gazing harshly into her eyes, intense urgency in his face. "Johnny." His hand found and tightened around hers, almost painfully and she winced. He immediately let go, apologetically rubbing the thin fingers. But his eyes were burning with fear and she could not hold his gaze.

"He is okay. Some minor sprains and scrapes injuries from the car going over the hill. They were worried about a neck injury, but it appears that nothing was broken. The effects aggravated - his - concussion - however." She hesitated.

"And?" Roy pushed her to continue, his eyes still glued to Joann's face.

"He is unconscious, Roy. They don't know when he will wake up." She spoke very quietly, gently taking his hand in hers and hugging it to her chest, her chin resting on the closed fist.

Roy looked away again and closed his eyes. Johnny was seriously hurt. His captain and his captain's sister were gone. There was no way they could have survived the avalanche. his whole world was crumbling. Stupid vacation.

A sudden thought jolted him back to reality.

"Susan?" Roy was gazing intently at Joann again.

Joanne's lower lip trembled, and she silently laid her head down next to him. Roy squeezed his eyes shut and laid his hand on the back of Joanne's neck to comfort her, even though his fingers shook with emotion. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Jo."

She shook her head and he gritted his teeth. Who was he kidding? It was never going to be okay again. A thought swept through his mind and for a moment, he felt selfish. He was so grateful he still had his wife and kids. Poor Susan would never have the opportunity again.

* * *

 _She moved to sit next to him as he was dishing out the meager dinner, and laid a hand on his arm. He laid down the spoon and half turned to face her. He was startled to see the tears silently dripping down her face, and he moved to pull her close. She held up a hand to stop him, and spoke quietly. "Hank, we -I - need to talk."_

"Yes, Peanut?"  
She frowned, and she wrung her hands together, a habit she always did when thinking hard. Hank reached out and laid a hand on hers.

"Peanut?"

She began to speak, and it was all he could do not to break down himself.

* * *

 _Johnny's words. "My job kind of does the same thing. It drives you. You go into each rescue determined to beat pain and death. It's a war. And you are sure not gonna give in without a fight."_

 _Her response. "What do you do when you feel yourself losing that battle?"_

 _And Johnny's response. "Ah, well, you have to determine what made you fight in the first place."_

 _"I want to fight, Johnny." She said softly. "I can't stand that disappointment in Hank's eyes. He has fought so hard for me. Sometimes I forget - he isn't - like - them." Her eyes became serious and dark again. "There are just times I feel - "_

 _"Trapped?" Johnny asked quietly. "Like nothing you ever say or do will change the rotten failure of a human being that you have been told you will always be by them?"_

 _"Hank never said that!"_

 _"No, maybe Hank didn't. But someone did. And you believed them."_

 _"Another story for another time, fireman."_

 _END OF_ _FLASHBACK_

"Hank, I don't know what to say. I have been a jerk these past few years. You left because you had too. I know that, I really do. There is a rational side of me that understands. But that insecure part of me inside doesn't comprehend. I needed someone to lean on, and that was you. I wasn't ready to be strong. I couldn't. All my life my Dad abused me and my mom, and the things he said and did made me feel worthless. You came along, and you- you _believed_ in me. I didn't know you from Adam, but you stepped in and you were the knight in shining armor that I needed. If you hadn't," She paused and shook her head. "I would not be here today. I can promise you that. I wasn't strong enough to keep going."

Hank brushed a rough hand across his own eyes, ignoring the salty tears that stung his chapped hand. He knew one day she was going to talk to him, and he knew there was a lot of pain and hurt bottled up. But hearing it didn't feel good, and even though her fears were irrational, it didn't make them any less real to her.

"I was angry." She continued quietly. "I was angry and I had to take that anger out on someone."

"And you chose yourself?" Hank said in an even lower tone.

She nodded quietly, subconsciously rubbing the scarred wrists. Hank reached out and grasped them, turning the pale skin so he could see. He said nothing, but held her hands tightly in his.

"I tried, Hank. I really did. I started work at the nursing home, in an attempt to try to make others feel better, and hoping it would help me. And it did. For a while."

She paused again, and he waited. Not pushing, not prying. Just patiently letting her work through it.

The dam finally broke, and her words came tumbling out. "One of the workers there was watching me a lot. I was working really hard, and he had been there longer, and I was trying to not cause problems. Well, he kept showing up when I was working with a patient, and I was getting really uncomfortable." She glanced up at Hank's face, wincing at the harsh expression that was plastered on his face. She could tell he was angry, but not at whom. She determined that he was mad at her, and dropped her gaze. He recognized this, and reached over to lift her chin.

"Not mad at you, Peanut. Go on." His tone was flat with barely contained emotions.

She nodded, her voice shaking as she continued. "Once day, he made advances on me when I was in a shower room with a patient. He just showed up, and I was scared cause I couldn't run and leave the patient alone. I was so scared, all I wanted was for you to walk in and run him off. I kept hoping you would. He had me pinned against the wall and -" she shuddered. "Then he got a page and it startled him. He - slapped me and said I was his and would never be worth anything and to keep an eye out for him because one day he would have me and I was so scared and I just wanted to die, and I was humiliated, and I felt like -garbage, and I just wanted to die!" She was now sobbing in earnest and Hank got down in the floor next to her, mumbling gentle words to calm her.

"Hey, it's okay. Come here, Hank's got you. It's over now, it's all over." He pulled her close, resting his chin on her head.

"I'm sorry, Hank." She whispered into his neck.

"No, Peanut. I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything! And now we are gonna die!"

Hank shook his head. "No we aren't, Peanut. I promise you we are not."

He would get them out safe if it was the very last thing he did. Even if he had to walk all the way back up the mountain. He had a score to settle with a certain man.

* * *

 _Ohhhhhh Captain Stanley is mad! Everyone look out! Dun dun duuuuuunn!_

 _I had a similar experience to Ashley's, and while mine was not as intense as hers, only a stalker, it can definitely change your trust in people and make you feel vulnerable. Now that we have finally moved past Ashley's pain, we can get to a rescue...eventually...haha_


	16. Chapter 16 - Nightmare after Nightmare

_GUYS! I am so very sorry. It has been a crazy few months for me. Life is taking some crazy turns and I will not have as much time to write. But I have not forgotten you all, and am going to try to get everything wrapped up as soon as possible. Beauty and the Beast will have an update by this weekend. Thank you to all the reviewers! You are my inspiration. You are all not forgotten!_

* * *

The searchers set out trekking slowly across the vast expanse of white. The wind was dying down now that the snow had stopped falling, but the damage was pretty fairly done. It had been quite a few long hours since the victims had been swept down the collapsing hillside, and there was little hope in the team's spirits for their recovery. Marco trudged onward, never wavering in his pace, and without realizing it, his long stride took him well past the commander of the little group and inadvertently he became the team leader. The other men silently followed him, trusting his obvious experience, and knowing that now would not be a good idea to mention the fact that he was supposed to actually be following the rescue team.

Fleeting images ran through the fireman's mind. Snapshots stored there of lively chess games at the station, firemen dramatically pulling people from roaring blazes, then bravely giving Roy and Johnny a hand when they needed it flashed as a slideshow before his eyes. He came to himself, still walking on through the drifts. He ran a hand across his tanned face, ignoring the dampness that he found there. Those days would never come again, and the little firehouse would absolutely never be the same. As he thought of his captains raw strength in the face of danger, the grief that he felt was swallowed up in a strange sense of duty. He wasn't going to abandon his captain and Ashley. Even if he was bringing them home bury them, he would not allow the mountain to claim them as it's captives. His feet kept planting themselves one step in front of the other, the wind howled in his ears, blocking all other sound from his mind, leaving him alone in his thoughts, descending into the shifting valley.

The sun was rising over the jagged ridge just as the rescue team slowly reached the far side of the valley. It had been a long night of probing, scanning, listening, shouting, digging and silence. The terrible silence was something Marco did not think he was ever going to forget. His hands were numb from the cold and he had long ago stopped feeling the icy chill on his face. There was a vague defeat in his shoulders as he walked over to stand next to Dean, the sheriff, and Raymond, the Carbondale rescue team commander,who were having a quick meeting in the dusky light.

"There isn't anything here, is there, fireman?" Dean spoke softly, turning to face at the weary arrival.

Marco merely glanced at him. He didn't speak, but his eyes told volumes, as did the dark smudges beneath his eyes and the lines deepening in his forehead. Wearily, Marco ran a hand across his face again, and dramatically threw his gloves into the snow.

Dean pursed his lips and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Grimly, he turned and nodded to Raymond.

The big man stepped forward, leaned over and plucked the gloves from their snowy grave, and reaching out, he took Marco's hand in his own, and slapped the gloves into it. "Frostbite." was all he said. Clapping Marco on the shoulder, he walked away to join his men.

"Calling it, men. Prepare to move out." Raymond waved toward the haggard team.

Slow steps took them out of the valley. Marco turned to look back. In the distance, there was a hunting cabin, barely visible in the distance. His heart leaped to his throat as he turned to Raymond, one foot already pointed in that direction.

The big man turned to see where Marco had been staring. He planted one booted foot on the snowbank and rested his hands on his hips. "Too far, Marco. Too darn far to have made it over there after that tumble down the hillside. Trees are snapped into splinters in slides like that. It's been too long, man. They are either over there deep in that snow bank with a snapped neck or frozen solid."

Marco turned quickly away from him and began climbing up the snowy valley wall, his back stiff with anger at Raymond's calloused words.

Raymond sighed. He had been a rescue commander for thirty years, and in his time he had seen a lot of rescues, most of them with no happy ending. But he also knew and understood the tragedy of having a loss that hit so close to home. He hadn't known the missing folks, but his gut told him they were admired and adored by those they had left behind. His heart hurt in a way it hadn't hurt in a long time.

* * *

Roy slowly opened his eyes. The hospital room was dark now, with the blinds pulled almost shut. In the hazy light, he could see Joanne still sleeping awkwardly squashed on the bed beside him. Listening carefully, he realized that the beeping of the nursing station was faint, and he realized he had been moved to a room, and out of the ICU. Roy squinted in the darkness, and studied the calm face framed in the dark hair next to him, saddened to know that when she awoke, that same face would be lined with worry and the dark eyes would be red-rimmed and sad. He ran his hand over the soft waves and his gratitude for still having her in his life swept through him again. She felt small and fragile next to him, and he pulled her head to his chest and rested his chin next to her forehead. He was a lucky man.

Poor Susan. He had to talk to Susan.

"Jo?"

He spoke softly, caressing the sleeping face. "Jo, honey, wake up for me."

She mumbled a few incoherent words in her sleep, then jerked awake, head twisted awkwardly to look at his face, gazing at him with confused, frightened eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Roy spoke quickly, brushing a hand across her cheek.

Joanne hesitated for a second, then bit her bottom lip as she held back the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Roy, I forgot you were in here, and when I woke up it was a bit of a shock. It's all coming back to me now."

Roy sighed. He felt awful. Studying his wife's sad face, he spoke calmly. "Jo, Jo, it's okay, honey, it's all fine. I just need to see Susan."

Jo's eyes widened, then she wrinkled her forehead. "You sure that's a good idea?"

Roy bit his lip. He really didn't have the answer to that question. Joanne reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. When she spoke, her tone was that of her 'mom' voice she would have used for Chris. "I'm not sure where she is, Roy, but I will find her, okay?"

Roy nodded and pulled the small shoulders close to his chest. "In a few minutes, honey. Tell me about Johnny."

* * *

 _Johnny was walking blindly through a snowy valley. The snow hurt his eyes with it's insanely bright shine, and his footing kept slipping in the slushy surface snow. The surface just would not hold his weight and it was all he could do to keep moving in one direction._

 _"Going somewhere, partner?" He heard a familiar voice to his left and looked to see Roy skiing next to him, a broad smile on his tanned face. "This sure beats walking, you should try it sometime, if you can get those wobbly legs to be worth something."_

 _Johnny laughed and tried to speak to his partner, but no words would come out of his lips._

 _Roy tilted his head to one side and frowned at him. "What's wrong, Johnny? Cap asked you to meet him at the hunting cabin. Are you okay? He's waiting for you. Something about an avalanche."_

 _Johnny's eyes grew wide. Why did a hunting cabin sound familiar?_

 _Roy was still gazing at him in concern. "Go, Johnny. Go now!" And he skied away, disappearing in a spray of white snow that Johnny couldn't feel._

 _The young paramedic tried to call after him, but his voice still refused to work._

 _"Johnny?"_

 _Captain Stanley was standing in front of him. Johnny felt elated and he reached out to take his captain's hand. Then everything fell down. He was falling, and falling, and falling, and it was dark and he couldn't call for help._

* * *

"We almost lost them." Dr. Brackett sat slumped on his stool in the coffee room, Dr. Early and Dixie had collapsed nearby on the couch. The dark haired physician ran a hand over his face, stubble beginning to show through his haggard countenance. "I don't know how Johnny doesn't have more extensive brain trauma, but looks like both of our boys will make it. I heard from Aspen County ER that he just has a concussion and scrapes and bruises, but he and Roy should fully recover. "

Dr. Early studied the younger doctor's face. "What about Hank and Ash?"

"Presumed lost." Kelly sighed, frowning at the ceiling.

"That's not your fault." Dr Early said quietly, tapping his pen on the arm of the chair.

"I know, Joe. It's just not fair, you know? She was just starting to turn around, and man, Hank is one of the best fire captains in our area. Seems a shame that we won't be seeing them around anymore. Ashley was just starting to come out of her shell, too. I really was looking forward to having her work here."

Dixie smiled kindly at him. "You did a good job bringing her around, Kel. She really looked up to you. I think she thought of you as a father that she never had. Between you here at work and Hank at home, I think she would have become a fine woman."

Kelly Brackett leaned back against the table, crossing his arms over his chest. "I guess we will never know. Wonder if she ever got the chance to talk to him?"

There was a moment of silence, while the only sounds to be heard were sirens in the distance, nurse pages, and the footsteps of orderlies going to and fro in the hall.

Dr Early shook his head. "Like you said, I guess we will never know."

* * *

"Ash," Hank nudged his sleeping sister. "Ash, come on and wake up okay? It's getting kind of cold and you need your jacket."

Ashley sat up slowly, realizing that Hank was kneeling in front of her, her coat in his broad hands. "What's wrong, Hank?"

"Nothing, Peanut. It's just cold. I almost got the hunter radio working. I found it in the back cabinet. Looks like someone has tried to fix it before, but I am not sure what station it is going to. I am going to keep at it, maybe it will be out ticket out of here."

Ashley nodded tiredly, and settled back against the couch. She looked up to see Hank still sitting there beside her. "Hank, is there something wrong?" Worry settled over her features, and Hank forced himself to be cheerful when he replied again. He shook his head.

"Nope, not a thing. Go ahead and get some sleep okay?"

She nodded, and closed her eyes. She was drifting away in her dreams. Her concussion was starting to get , as the irritation from her injured head was beginning to sink in. Hank had noticed the glassy eyes, slightly slurred speech, and bruising beginning to finally show on her forehead. He was worried for her, but the feeling of being stuck in this place was a helplessness he never wanted to experience ever again in his entire life.

 _It was cold in her dream. Terribly cold. Johnny was standing nearby in the doorway. Why was he here. He wasn't moving. He looked angry._

 _"Johnny? Johnny, why are you here?"_

 _"They said you were dead." His face was devoid of any emotion and his eyes were empty. Standing in the doorway, he looked older, and lost._

 _"We aren't Johnny. We are at the hunter's cabin. We aren't dead." She felt panic rising in her chest. "We want to leave with you, Johnny. Please take us with you._

 _The form of Johnny slowly turned to face her, and in that moment, she realized tears were running down the slim face, in place of the famous crooked smile._

 _"You were dead. It was too late. We couldn't find you." And he turned away and disappeared, leaving the door open, and the cold air rushing in._

She woke up screaming. Hank nearly dropped the radio he was working on, managing to toss it onto the table before he rushed to his sister's side, rubbing his swollen wrist that was starting to ache. He really needed to wrap that better.

"Peanut, it's me. It's Hank, it's okay, alright. Wake up, Ashley." Hank brushed back the hair from her face, wiping off the tears streaming down her face. She was sitting straight up, eyes squeezed shut, just screaming bloody murder. He couldn't get her to stop, no matter what he said. He had never felt so alone. "Peanut, you have a concussion, I don't want to slap you again, come on and snap out of it okay?"

The screams were subsiding into hysterical crying, and he could barely make out the words 'Johnny' and 'we are dead'. He winced at the near likelihood of those words, and took her shoulders in his hands.

"Stop it, Ashley. Stop it right now!"

The sudden tone of voice startled her, and she slowly opened her eyes, chest heaving with quiet sobs.

"Johnny said we were dead."

* * *

Marco walked into Roy's room, feeling as if each step was taking him further and further into the ground. The weight on his shoulders was almost unbearable. Roy turned to look at him as he entered, and Marco almost turned right around and left as he saw the fleeting disappointment on his friend's face.

"Hi, Roy."

"Hi, Marco." Roy spoke calmly, but gently.

"Couldn't find them, _amigo_." Marco spoke dejectedly. He rubbed his hands together. "Too late. _Demasiado tarde_!"

Roy reached out and laid a hand on the Mexican man's arm. "It's okay, Marco, it's not your fault."

Marco opened his mouth to protest, but the look of resignation in the eye of his coworker calmed him. He knew in that moment how Roy and Johnny felt after an unsuccessful rescue.

"How is Johnny taking it?" Marco asked quietly.

Roy smiled. "He hasn't been awake since they took him off the mountain. They said he's resting. He will recover. A bit of a concussion, which we already knew, but it got worse in the avalanche. Kind of got knocked around a bit."

Marco smiled wanly. " _Bueno_. I will go check on him. You get some rest yourself, man."

Roy waved him off. "Wouldn't think of doing anything else, amigo."

The smile on Marco's face at the attempt at humor was totally worth it. "Don't grade me on my pronunciation and the terrible accent, Marco!" Roy called after the disappearing figure as Marco headed toward the hallway.

"Oh, Roy, you can count on it," Marco called back cheerfully. "You barely made a C on this round! I demand an A by the end of the week!"

Roy chuckled and leaned back on the pillows, his heart heavy. How had a simple camping trip turned into such a living nightmare?

* * *

Marco walked into the quiet room, greeted only by the sound of Johnny's heart monitor. Johnny was sleeping quietly, but restlessly. Standing beside him, Marco almost felt like he was looking down at a child. Johnny's thin, child-like face made him seem a lot younger than he really was. Marco reached over and pulled the gown around Johnny's neck downward slightly, wincing at the bruising on the young man's neck and face.

" _Cortes_! What happened to you, boy?" Marco's mustache bristled at the thought of Johnny going over the cliff in the rental car. "Dr. Brackett will have your head for not resting like he said to! Well, it's not like you had any way of knowing how this day was going to go. I don't think he will be too hard on you, if you get back there in one piece. Who knows, maybe we will just have to take another trip to relax after all this _desastre_." Marco sat down in a chair nearby, watching the sleeping man. Joanne's jacket lay on a chair beside the window, and Marco was glad to see that Johnny had received a visit too. Slumping into the chair, Marco put his head in his hands. What was he going to say to Susan? There was no way he could walk up to her and tell her that he had failed to bring back her husband and sister-in law. His heart hurt to think about it.

 _"Cap?"_

Marco started violently at the clearly spoken name coming from the still-sleeping man's pale, dry lips. Marco made a mental note to ask the nurse for ice chips when he left. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things.

"Johnny?" Marco held his breath as he awaited an answer.

 _"The cabin."_

"What did you say, Johnny?" A chill ran through the Mexican man's spine. No. There was no way Johnny could possibly be talking about the hunter's cabin.

 _"The cabin, Cap, the cabin. I see it."_

Without thinking or speaking to anyone, Marco knew what he had to do. He didn't call for backup. He threw on his coat and ran from the room, nearly knocking over the nurse in the hallway. He had one mission. He had to get back to the valley. And fast.


	17. Chapter 17 - Waking Up

Im so sorry guys, eventually this story will get done. My dad passed away suddenly on August 1st, and its been a really rough time. I should have some writing up soon, but I just can't seem to get life out of the way. Anyhow, please enjoy this slightly scrambled update. I think there may only be one or two chapters left!

* * *

Marco drove like a wild thing that was let out of a cage after a decade of captivity, as he desperately tried to make his way out of town. He couldn't believe that he had let an opportunity to rescue his friends slip through his grasp. The heavy truck slipped and slid in the growing drifts as its driver strained to see through the light curtain of snow that was falling once more upon the sleepy houses. The lights of the small town slowly vanished behind him, leaving all sense of security and peace in their glow.  
He felt like he was going to throw up.  
The cabin. The cabin. Get to the cabin. It became a chant, a rallying cry in his scrambled mind. He could think of nothing else. His weathered hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that they lost all feeling inside his winter gloves. What if he was too late? What if the snow was still unsteady and it would not hold his weight? What if he, Marco, failed his friends in not following his gut feeling earlier. The fireman did not realize that sheer desperation was stealthily clouding his judgement and he was so desperate to find his captain that he forsook all wisdom, not realizing how slim the chance was that they had made it to the hunter's cabin alive.  
But it was a chance he just couldn't turn his back on. What he did not consider was that no one knew where he was headed. No one would notice his absence.  
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stomped the gas pedal to the floor, leaving a spray of snow behind him in the road.

* * *

"It's getting colder."  
Hank looked up from the array of radio parts that he had strewn across the small table to see his sister up and walking around. She was rubbing her hands together, and she smiled a little when she caught his eye.  
He didn't know what to say at first. She seemed alert and awake. They had not had any conversations worth mentioning without them both being mostly out of it. He didn't know if she would remember their earlier discussions about her experiences and her troubled past. He wasn't sure what to say.  
She saw the deer in the headlights look in his dark eyes and she nervously bit her lip. Jumping at the sudden pain it caused, she realized that she had forgotten about her lip being injured. Rubbing the back of her hand across it, she spoke quietly. "You don't have to look so scared, Hank."  
Hank Stanley raised his eyebrows in an attempt to change his facial expression, but it didn't help at all. "I'm not scared a bit, Peanut. How are you feeling?"  
Hugging her arms around her upper body, Ashley shrugged noncommittally "Cold."  
Hank chuckled, his eyes crinkling kindly. "Other than that?" He pointed to the chair across the table and offered her his coat.  
She waved it away and sat down opposite him, fixing him with that puppy dog face that he remembered fondly could get her anything when she was little. "I'm sorry."  
Hank took up his screwdriver again and drew his eyebrows together for a second. "Sorry about what?"  
The eyes gazing back at him were sincere. "Everything, Hank. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry that I didn't come to you before - all - this." She waved her arms aimlessly at the surrounding walls, indicating their current predicament. "I'm sorry I've been such a loser."  
Hank's face definitely changed at those words, and he stood suddenly, coming over to take her shoulders in his hands. She was startled at the quick move, and cowered, her head down, eyes closed.  
"Ashley, look at me." His voice was quiet but firm.  
She whimpered a little, but was completely frozen. Hank bent down a little and caught her gaze, a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Look at me, Peanut. Look at me. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You hear? Someone else may have said that to you, but not me. I wouldn't even think it. You are beautiful, you are special. You are family, to me and to the boys at the station. You are a bright, vibrant girl, and I am so lucky to have you as my sister. You may have strayed down a lonely path, but its I who am sorry, Peanut. I am sorry I was not there for you. I am sorry I didn't notice. But I promise you this." He wrapped his hands around the harmed wrists. "You are worth more than this. You are worth so so much more. You can always come to me. And if I ever seem unavailable, you tell me. Tell me when I mess up. Tell me that you need me and that you need me right then. Make me listen, Ashley. Trust me, I will hear you."  
"That's what Dr. Brackett said."  
Hank hesitated at the sudden change of direction. "He said what?"  
Ashley looked up at her brother. "When I first woke up in ICU, before you got there, he told me that you would have always been there for me, if I had just asked. He also told me that Roy or Johnny or even himself or Dixie would be backups if I ever needed it."  
Hank smiled kindly. "Well, that is your support group. Hold them accountable and they will hold you accountable. Fair?"  
She nodded, smiling crookedly at him. "Fair."  
Hank patted her shoulder. "Good. Come on over by the fire then."  
She nodded and let him wrap his coat around her. Stretching her back in front of the fireplace, she looked around.  
"I think they lied to you, Hank."  
His face crumpled in confusion, Hank picked up his screwdriver. "Who did?"  
"The vacation club. The vacation flyer looks nothing like this place." She smiled wickedly at her brother.  
He laughed, a genuine stress-free laugh. "Girl, I am with you on that one! This cabin needs some serious updating. Talk about a rip-off. Wait until Johnny finds out –"  
The room fell silent and Ashley looked down at the floor.  
"Ash, it's going to be okay." Hank spoke softly.  
With brimming eyes, Ashley looked up at him. "Promise?"  
Hank threw down the screwdriver and came to her side, pulling her into a tight hug.  
"Promise me, Hank," she whispered sadly into his shoulder. "Promise me it's going to be okay. Promise me Johnny will be okay?"  
He looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep his own tears at bay, tightening his hold as he rested his forehead on his sister's arm.  
"I can't Peanut. I really can't promise you that it will be okay. I don't know where Johnny or Roy are. But I can promise you that I will never give up on you, okay? I will get you out of here."  
He pulled away so he could look at her. "I promise you that."  
She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut, sending the tears down the pale cheeks. "I'm scared, Hank."  
Hank grimaced and pulled her close again. "Me too, Peanut. Me too."  
At exactly that moment, there was a desperate pounding on the cabin door.

* * *

"Come on, Johnny. I need you to wake up."  
Joanne DeSoto patted the young man's shoulder as he stirred. The dark eyes opened and for a moment, the confusion on his young face was endearing.  
"How ya doing, tiger?" Joanne whispered, brushing back the dark curly hair from his forehead.  
Johnny sighed and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Bright."  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Johnny. Let me get that." She moved quickly to close the slats in the blinds to a bare glimmer of light. "Better?"  
"Yeah," Johnny nodded slowly.  
"How do you feel?" Joanne asked, pulling a chair up next to him and taking his hand in hers, she pushed the nurse call button at the same time.  
Johnny gazed at the ceiling for a moment. "Head hurts. But I think I'm ok. Roy!" He nearly sat straight up, had Joanne not been twice as fast and pushed his shoulder's back down. "Easy does it, tiger. He's awake and talking, just like you. He may be dismissed later this afternoon if all goes well."  
Relief visibly crossed Johnny's face. "Wanna see him."  
"Oh, don't worry, I already did. I want to spend time with you now." Joanne said gently, in her mothering way, her eyes firm and unbending in her decision.  
Johnny's face crumpled into a stubborn frown. "No, I want to see him."  
Understanding made Joanne smile, and she patted his arm. "Okay, fine. Sure thing. Let me check with a nurse for you. She will talk to the doctor for you"  
As she went to move away, Johnny reached out and grabbed her sleeve. "Joanne, was Marco here?"  
She hesitated and glanced around the room. "I'm not sure Johnny, why do you ask?"  
Johnny studied her face for a moment, the confusion evident in his eyes. "No reason, I guess. I thought he was here earlier. Must have dreamed it. No worries, Jo."  
"If you say so, Johnny. You were really out of it. I will get Roy for you."  
Johnny nodded, a crooked smile crossing his face. Roy was pretty much a brother to him, and he had to see for himself that his pal was okay. As she left the room, Joanne passed the young nurse headed to check on Johnny. "He's awake now, sister. Be prepared, he's a fun one." Joanne said cheerfully, enjoying the look of confusion on the woman's face. She had no idea what kind of patient that Johnny could be. "Heartbreaker." She mumbled to herself, getting on the elevator to head to her husband's room.  
Joanne walked into Roy's room to find the window blinds open and a gently snow falling outside.  
"It looks like Christmas, doesn't it?" A voice behind her spoke cheerfully. She jumped, startled, and whirled around.  
Roy stood at the bathroom door in his hospital gown, leaning on the door frame, looking perfectly normal except for the abrasions and bruises that would take time to heal. Joanne's eyes grew wide.  
"Roy! You know what the doctor said! Wheelchair only until tomorrow! If you fall, you'll be right back in here, and if you don't mind me saying it, I am ready to get out of here!"  
Roy chuckled at the fire in his wife's voice. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "That makes two of us. Where, pray tell, lieth my golden chariot, oh fair one?"  
She playfully smacked his arm. "Get over here, and sit down. We have a quick stop by Johnny's room first."  
Roy turned from the wheelchair, grasping the arm for support, and glanced at her, his face searching hers with his unspoken question.  
"It's okay, Roy, he's awake and asking for you. Probably flirting with the nurse that was headed to check on him when I left."  
Relief flooded Roy's face and he grinned broadly. "Well, lead on then. Let's rescue the poor girl!"  
"Just a minute, Roy." Joanne leaned forward and took his chin in her hand. For a moment, Roy could only focus on the soft touch of the gentle hands and was thinking about how he almost lost the most important person in his life other than his kids and Johnny, and how tragic that would have been. He came back to earth to find Joanne gazing strangely at him.  
"Roy? You okay?" She was concerned about the faraway look in his eyes. After last night, she was still jumpy. She swallowed her concern and tried to cast off the fear.  
"Sorry, Jo. Was just thinking." Roy smiled reassuringly, his eyes clear and honest as he looked at her.  
She nodded agreeably. "Noticed. Roy, don't go in there and try to treat Johnny, okay? The doctors will take care of him. Just be a friend. You know how Johnny hates coddling."  
Roy threw up his hands in a sign of surrender. "I promise, Jo. No doctoring. Just want to make sure his vitals are steady and his eyes-"  
"Roy!"  
"Okay, okay!" He crossed his arms in mock frustration.  
Joanne laughed. "Just relax okay? At least try?"  
Roy rolled his eyes. "Eye, eye, Captain!" He playfully saluted as she pushed him out into the hall.  
Johnny's room was still and quiet when Roy and Joanne peeked around the door to Johnny's unit. Only the comforting beep of the heart monitor broke the silence. Roy made a mental note of the sounds, and was satisfied with what he heard and saw. Joanne gave him a look of warning and he held up his hands in a motion of surrender. The floor creaked beneath Joanne's foot and Johnny's head turned to face them. The trademark Gage grin spread across his face, and the visitors could tell he was genuinely glad to see them.  
"Hi Pally," Johnny grinned, reaching out his hand to them.  
Roy took it in his own gladly. "Hey yourself. You look good."  
Johnny chuckled. "Thanks. I actually feel pretty okay. I know they probably won't let me out of here for a bit, but sure feels better than I did."  
Roy smiled weakly. "Yeah, you were pretty out of it there, buddy."  
"Any word on Cap and Ashley?" Johnny asked quietly.  
Roy just shook his head, unwilling to break the news just yet to his recovering comrade.  
Johnny looked away and frowned. His hand was squeezing Roy's nervously, the only indication of where his thoughts were.  
"Did Marco come see you?" Roy asked, trying to change the subject gently.  
"You know, that's a funny thing. I musta dreamed it, but I thought I heard his voice a while ago. Maybe I was still asleep and he just left."  
"Well, in that case he is probably at the hotel." Joanne said kindly. "We should get you there too, Roy, so you can rest. You, tiger, we will hopefully see tomorrow. If they release you, you can count on me to come get you. Be good and don't break any hearts." She gave him a mischievous wink, and Johnny smiled.  
"Thanks Joanne, Roy. You guys are the best pals a guy could ever ask for."

* * *

Hank hurried to the front of the cabin, Ashley following close behind him. He threw open the door as a tall, hunched over figure stumbled in, covered in snow and breathing heavily.  
Nearly stumbling over his snowshoes, the newcomer fell to his knees, trying to pull off his gloves.  
Hank grabbed the large hands in his own. "No, there, fellow, leave those on. You are almost frozen yourself. Let's get you over to the fire."  
A mute nod from the man gave Hank the permission he needed and he effectively dragged the man to the warmth of the blaze. He reached down and pulled back the scarf, trying to identify their visitor. With a pang of shock he looked down into the nearly frozen face of his fireman, Marco Lopez.


End file.
